Voice & Swallowing Disorders

Problems related to the voice, breathing, and swallowing occur quite often. Sometimes they are preventable but sometimes they are the result of other medical conditions or they occur following surgery. Our fellowship-trained laryngologists specialize in the care of these disorders, and they can develop personalized treatment plans to address your unique condition. We are able treat everyone from voice professionals like singers, actors, educators, salespeople, and telemarketers to non-voice professionals of all ages.

Areas treated by our laryngologists:

Airway papilloma
Benign vocal fold lesions (cyst, pseudocyst, nodule, polyp, scar, sulcus vocalis, Reinke’s edema, varix/ectasia, papilloma, etc.)
Cervical (neck) dystonia
Chronic cough
Cricopharyngeus muscle dysfunction
Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) involving the pharynx, larynx, and esophagus
Dysplasia and cancer of the larynx/vocal folds
Dyspnea (difficulty breathing) involving the larynx and trachea
Globus
Glottic insufficiency
Laryngeal dystonias (vocal tremor, spasmodic dysphonia, primary muscle tension dysphonia, etc.)
Paradoxical vocal fold movement disorder (PVFM), also sometimes referred to as vocal cord dysfunction (VCD)
Reflux and food sensitivity, laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR)
Tracheotomy care and removal (decannulation) procedures
Upper airway stenosis (supraglottic, glottic, posterior glottic, subglottic, tracheal)
Vocal fold paralysis (and paresis)
Voice disorders (hoarseness) including difficulties in singing
Voice feminization surgery
Zenker’s diverticulum

We use the latest technologies to care for you and your loved ones. Some examples include:

Comprehensive voice evaluation with chip tip and rigid stroboscopy
Collaboration with speech-language pathologists fellowship trained in voice care
Collaboration with singing voice specialists
lasers (CO2, KTP)
endoscopic upper airway surgery
endoscopic esophageal surgery
endoscopic removal of some laryngeal cancers
in-office vocal fold injection
in-office botulinum toxin (Botox) injection to the larynx and neck
in-office Trans-Nasal Esophagoscopy (TNE)
Reflux testing (Restech, Multi-channel intraluminal impedance, High Resolution Esophageal Manometry)

Call us if you would like to schedule an appointment with one of our expert laryngologists!

Voice & Swallowing Disorders Q&A

What Causes a Voice Disorder?

A voice disorder occurs when the quality of your voice changes due to a problem with your vocal cords or vocal folds. Your vocal cords consist of two folds of tissue in your larynx or voice box. These folds stay open when you breathe in, then they come together when you speak or sing. As air flows over the folds, they vibrate to produce sound.

When you have a voice disorder, your voice becomes hoarse, which is a generic term meaning your voice changes. Hoarseness may mean that your voice is raspy, softer, lower pitched, or breathy, for example. Voice problems may be caused by numerous conditions, including:

Laryngitis
Vocal nodules
Vocal cord paralysis
Vocal cord spasms
Thyroid problems
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Straining your voice by yelling, talking loudly, or singing

Medical conditions affecting the nerves that control your vocal cords can also cause a voice disorder or vocal cord paralysis.

What Causes a Swallowing Disorder?

Difficulty swallowing, or dysphagia, occurs when you have trouble passing food and liquids from your mouth, through your esophagus, and into your stomach. Although dysphagia affects people of all ages, it’s more common as you get older.

Dysphagia may develop due to a dry mouth, a sore throat, or many other health problems, including:

Disorders affecting muscles and nerves such as Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, and cerebral palsy
Head and neck cancers
Head and neck injuries
Vocal cord paralysis
Narrowed or blocked esophagus
Age-related muscle weakness
GERD

In some cases, you may experience pain when you swallow. Otherwise, difficulty swallowing typically causes symptoms such as food getting stuck in your throat or esophagus, regurgitating food, or coughing or choking when you try to swallow. Swallowing disorders can also cause hoarseness.

How are Voice and Swallowing Disorders Treated?

Your treatment is always customized according to the cause of your voice or swallowing problem. Treatment options for a voice disorder include speech and voice therapy, surgery to remove polyps, and medications.

Swallowing disorders are frequently treated with dietary changes, medications, or minimally invasive surgery to treat structural problems like a narrowed esophagus. Many patients also benefit from swallowing therapy, which includes exercises to coordinate swallowing muscles.

WHAT WE OFFER

Services

allergy, asthma & immunology

audiology

Ear, Nose & Throat

facial plastic + reconstructive surgery

head + neck surgery

Voice + Swallowing Disorders

neurotology

otolaryngology

rhinology + skull base surgery

sleep disorders

pulmonology

Ear, Nose and Throat, Allergy and Immunology, Audiology & Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery located in Allentown, Bethlehem, Quakertown & Wind Gap, PA

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