Hoarseness
- Capital & Coast District Health Board (CCDHB) >
- Capital & Coast DHB Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Services
Hoarseness can be described as abnormal voice changes that make your voice sound raspy and strained and higher or lower or louder or quieter than normal.
These changes are usually the result of disorders of the vocal cords which are the sound-producing parts of the voice box (larynx).
The most common cause of hoarseness is laryngitis (inflammation of the vocal cords) which is usually associated with a viral infection but can also be the result of irritation caused by overuse of your voice e.g. excessive singing, cheering, loud talking.
Other causes of hoarseness include:
- nodules on the vocal cords – these may develop after using your voice too much or too loudly over a long period of time
- smoking related irritation
- gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) – stomach acid comes back up the oesophagus and irritates the vocal cords
- polyps on the vocal cords
- viral "warts" on the vocal cords
- tumours.
Diagnostic tests may include viewing the vocal cords with a mirror at the back of your throat or by inserting a small flexible tube with a camera on the end (endoscope) through your nose. Sometimes tests may be done to analyse the sounds of your voice.
Treatment depends on the cause of the hoarseness and may include resting your voice or changing how it is used, avoiding smoking, medication to slow stomach acid production and sometimes surgical removal of nodules or polyps.
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