Best Voice Specialist in Orange County
Your voice is a big part of who you are because of its unique qualities.
So, if you voice suddenly becomes horse or changes in tone, you’ll likely make a trip to your family doctor first to see what’s going on. But if your voice consistently sounds breathy, strained, raspy, or softer in pitch than what’s normal for you, or you have trouble using your voice to sing or clearly project when speaking, it’s time to consider a visit to the best voice specialist in Orange County.
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What Can a Voice Specialist Do?
The best voice specialist in Orange County is capable of treating a wide range of voice-related problems, from chronic laryngitis to vocal cord irritations related to voice misuse or overuse. While vocal strain is a common issue for singers or public speakers, it can also be caused by poor breathing techniques, excessive tension placed on neck or laryngeal muscles, or even excessive phone use. A vocal specialist can also diagnose and treat many other voice-related problems, including:
- Benign (non-cancerous) growths on the vocal cords
- Vocal cord hemorrhages
- Vocal cord paralysis
- Laryngeal/throat cancer
How Is a Diagnosis Made?
The first thing a voice specialist usually does is examine your throat and larynx (voice box) with specialized instruments to make an accurate diagnosis. This process may involve the use of a flexible scope placed through the nose into the back of the throat (laryngoscopy). An examination with a lighted scope attached to a camera is a painless procedure that allows a specialist to view the vocal folds and throat in a way that often allows for an instant diagnosis to be made. A laryngoscopy or similar endoscopic testing procedure can also allow a specialist to view your throat and larynx as you speak, sing, or swallow.
A voice specialist might also perform various lab tests to look for signs of other conditions that may affect the throat or vocal cords. If your vocal cords are normal, glands in your throat may be evaluated to determine if over-activity or under-activity could be contributing to vocal changes or throat irritation. Hoarseness, for example, is one of the symptoms commonly associated with hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid).
What Are Possible Treatment Options?
Treatments recommended by the best voice specialist in Orange County will be based on the specific voice-related condition or problem. A specialist may also consider factors such as whether or not underlying health issues are involved. For instance, if reflux of stomach acid into your throat (laryngopharyngeal reflux disease) is affecting your voice, treatment might include medication to control stomach acid and changes to diet habits. Treatment options for various voice-related issues may also involve:
- Speech and/or language therapy
- Voice relaxation exercises
- Testing to determine the nature of vocal cord lesions
- Massaging the muscles of the neck near the larynx (manual therapy)
Surgery is rarely necessary for most common voice-related problems. However, if you are referred to thebest voice specialist in Orange County because of an abnormal growth on your vocal cords or recurring issues with polyps or nodules, you may benefit from minimally invasive surgery to remove problematic benign growths, cancerous tumors, or abnormal vocal cord or throat tissues.
