Speech therapy is the primary treatment for VCD. Specially trained speech-language pathologists teach you exercises designed to relieve episodes of VCD. You will learn relaxed-throat breathing and lower-abdominal breathing strategies to manage episodes of breathing difficulty.
Can vocal cord dysfunction go away?
VCD is often misdiagnosed as asthma, which has similar symptoms. It is treatable, and preventable. You can learn to manage the symptoms, but there is no cure.
What triggers vocal cord dysfunction?
VCD can be progressive, and may start with wheezing in response to certain triggers such as heavy exercise, cold air, irritating smells (frying oil, chemicals, cleaners, perfume, smoke, etc), shouting, singing or loud speaking, and even emotional stress.
How do I relax my VCD vocal cords?
The best treatment for VCD is speech therapy with specific voice & breathing exercises. It is important to rest the voice, drink fluids, encourage salivation with lozenges or gum, reduce exposure to triggers when possible, and reduce stress.
How can I improve my vocal cord dysfunction? – Related Questions
How do you lubricate vocal cords?
A: The most important thing we can consume to improve vocal health is water. Staying hydrated helps your body produce thin, watery mucus. Your vocal cords vibrate more than 100 times a second when you speak, and they need that mucus to help them stay lubricated. We recommend drinking 64 ounces of water each day.
What to drink to relax vocal cords?
What are the best drinks for your singing voice? The best drinks for your singing voice are water (especially room-temperature water, perhaps with a squeeze or two of lemon) and tea, but be careful about consuming too much caffeine, which can dehydrate you.
Is VCD psychological?
It is now recognized that VCD is not solely psychological; therefore, the terminology has evolved to include factitious asthma, irritable larynx syndrome, paradoxical vocal-fold motion, paradoxical vocal cord dysfunction, and refractory asthma.
How long does a VCD episode last?
Because of the brevity of the attacks, which usually last only 1–2 minutes, VCD is difficult to diagnose with the methods generally used to diagnose asthma.
How long does it take to treat VCD?
Initial treatment, even in mild cases needs to be for 3 to 6 months. This should re-establish a healthy vocal cord pattern. In other cases of more persistent VCD, indefinite prophylactic treatment may be warranted with the aim of improving quality of life and avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions and treatments.
Can albuterol help VCD?
VCD is not a respiratory condition so inhalers such as Albuterol or inhaled steroids do not help the condition. VCD is typically treated with a series of breathing exercises to help re-train the vocal cords to relax during breathing and help the patient to use the muscle in their abdomen called the diaphragm.
Is there a test for vocal cord dysfunction?
The most valuable diagnostic tests for vocal cord dysfunction are pulmonary function testing with a flow-volume loop and flexible laryngoscopy. Other testing, such as measurement of arterial blood gases, may be useful in ruling out other possible diagnoses.
Does post nasal drip cause VCD?
Environmental factors such as cigarette smoke, cold air, strong aromas, and upper respiratory infections can trigger VCD. Health conditions such as heartburn, reflux, and post-nasal drip can also irritate the vocal chords and contribute to VCD.
Can an ENT diagnose VCD?
Your ENT doctor will complete a thorough physical exam and ask you questions to understand your history of breathing difficulties and voice changes. This breathing test measures airflow and can help your doctor diagnose your VCD.
Is vocal cord dysfunction rare?
Vocal cord dysfunction, sometimes known as paradoxical vocal fold motion, is a breathing problem caused by the abnormal closing of the vocal cords. This is a rare problem that is frequently misdiagnosed as asthma.
Can exercise help VCD?
Speech and Breathing Exercises
The exercises help you relax your throat muscles to prevent an attack from happening. You must practice these exercises regularly so that if you do have an attack you can remain in control. One example of a breathing exercise for VCD is a rescue breath.
How do people live with vocal cord dysfunction?
Treatment for vocal cord dysfunction is often nonmedicinal and involves respiratory retraining therapy with a qualified speech-language pathologist. Therapy generally requires two to six 60-minute sessions. These sessions aim to: Identify and eliminate sources of chronic throat irritation.
