Voice Screening
Don’t wait till you lose your voice; protect your throat and voice box with regular voice screenings.
Voice screening is important for several reasons. It helps to detect voice disorders and enable early treatment, and improve vocal quality and speech patterns. All this can safeguard and enhance vocal health, enabling you to communicate effectively with others.
Voice screening can be performed for both children and adults
Besides medical history and physical examination, there are additional ways to conduct voice screening, depending on the patient’s age and concerns. Typically painless and non-invasive, they include:
- Acoustic Analysis
This method involves using specialised software to analyse sound waves produced during speech. It measures voice parameters such as pitch, loudness, and voice quality.
- Perceptual Analysis
An ENT clinician listens to your voice and evaluates vocal quality, volume, pitch, and resonance.
- Laryngoscopy
An instrument known as a laryngoscope is used to examine your vocal cords and larynx (voice box), and check for structural abnormalities or other issues that cause voice problems.
Why voice screening is important
- Identify voice disorders, including hoarseness, vocal cord nodules, polyps, and tumours. If detected early, these can be treated quickly to prevent further damage.
- Assess vocal quality such as pitch, volume, and resonance, and indicate conditions that may affect your ability to communicate effectively.
- Evaluate speech patterns, including fluency, intonation, and rhythm, to diagnose conditions such as stuttering or dysarthria.
- Plan appropriate treatment, which ranges from voice therapy and medication to surgery.
- Monitor progress of voice disorder treatment, to ensure that treatment is effective.
Treatment depends on the cause and severity
Treatment options available for voice disorders vary according to causes – weak vocal cords, infection, structural abnormalities, smoking, or cancer. These may include voice therapy, lifestyle changes, rest, medications, Botox injections, and surgery.