Voice Disorders
The patients that consult the Pretoria Voice Clinic typically suffers from the following conditions:
- Inflammatory conditions of the larynx.
- Benign lesions of the vocal folds, such as vocal cord nodules, polyps and cysts, reactive vocal fold lesions, Reinke’s oedema and vocal fold scarring.
- Malignant lesions of the larynx (laryngeal cancer).
- Congenital disorders affecting voice, such as laryngeal web, sulcus vocalis and vocal cord paralysis.
- Voice problems related to puberty and aging.
- Injuries to the larynx which include injury as a result of surgical procedures or external neck injuries.
- Non-laryngeal aero-digestive disorders affecting voice, such as respiratory diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Voice disorders related to heartburn and acid reflux (laryngo-pharyngeal reflux).
- Vocal abuse, misuse or vocal fatigue associated with lifestyle, personality and occupational factors (vocal overuse syndrome).
- Muscle Tension Dysphonia (primary or secondary).
- Systemic conditions affecting voice, such as allergies, hypo- or hyperthyroidism.
- Neurologic disorders affecting voice, such as vocal fold nerve paralysis secondary to thyroid surgery or neck fusion surgery.
- Movement disorders affecting the larynx; Such as Spasmodic Dysphonia and Essential Vocal Tremor.
- Central neurologic disorders affecting voice, such as Parkinson ’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
- Voice disorders related to self and identity that involves gender reassignment surgery (male to female and female to male) and laryngeal shaving.
- Psychiatric and psychological disorders affecting voice.
- Disorders related to airway problems and respiration, such as Paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion disorder.
- Professional voice users such as singers, actors, teachers, preachers, attorneys and judges.