The Value of Voice

Why is it that we value our vision and hearing, but rarely do we think about the value of voice?

Voice disorders can be acute (e.g. laryngitis), and appear as part of an upper respiratory virus; or they can be chronic and life changing like laryngeal dystonia or vocal fold palsy. They can appear secondary to other conditions such as MS, cancer, myasthenia or parkinson’s disease and sometimes there can be no obvious trigger at all.

But whatever the underlying cause, voice disorders change lives. They can affect relationships, employment, participation in community life; and if left unmanaged they frequently lead to withdrawal, social isolation and depression.

Currently there are no clinical guidelines in Australia to assist with the accurate diagnosis of a hoarse voice. However the University of Sydney Voice Research Program recommends any adult who has voice changes lasting more than four weeks to be referred to a clinician who can perform a laryngoscopy.

This is in line with the US ENT Guidelines. Referral to a multidisciplinary voice assessment in a specialised voice clinic may be helpful, where the diagnosis is unclear, or the patient is not responding to treatment as expected.

The Australian Dysphonia Network (ADN) was formed in 2016 by a group of people living with chronic voice loss. The network is a registered national Health Promotion Charity which aims to increase awareness of the impact of dysphonia, speed up diagnosis, and advocate for research into earlier and improved management.

ADN is the only organisation of its kind in Australia, and it provides individuals with support, empathy, knowledge and understanding while on their own journey.

The ADN does not recommend or endorse any treatment or management plan.

To learn more about ADN and access useful resources, please visit australiandysphonianetwork.org/.

Article sourced from Australian Dysphonia Network