Doctors Are Advised on Treating a Hoarse Voice

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report, from http://voaspecialenglish.com If using your voice is difficult, then you know what dysphonia is. The more common name for this disorder is hoarseness. Experts say about one in three people will become hoarse at some point in their lives. Infections, smoking and using your voice too much, too loudly or just incorrectly can all cause hoarseness. It happens more commonly in women, children, the elderly and those who use their voice a lot in their jobs. Now, doctors have the first treatment guidelines from the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. The new guidelines recognize that most cases are not serious and go away within a few days. But hoarseness can also be a sign of something worse. Doctor Richard Rosenfeld helped develop the guidelines. Doctor Rosenfeld said: "We want to really call attention to the fact that hoarseness is not just a symptom. It occurs as a result of something underlying which can be potentially serious." He says there are some situations where people should get examined sooner rather than later. He said: "So if you have hoarseness with tobacco or alcohol use, that would be a significant risk factor for cancer or other problems of the throat that could be serious. If you have any sort of a mass or growth in your neck at the same time, that would be very suspicious." The same is true if hoarseness begins after an accident or injury. Or if you are

Published 2009-09-18 · Watch on YouTube ↗
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