Respiratory Illness
The most common culprit for that rasp in your voice? An infection in your airways. A cold, the flu, bronchitis, or another upper
respiratory infection can make your vocal cords swell temporary – also known as
laryngitis.
Seasonal Allergies
Just like viruses, outdoor allergies to certain trees and
plants in bloom can cause laryngitis.
The irritation and drainage that hit your airways might also make you
clear your throat more often and inflame your vocal cords.
Tonsillitis
A virus on your tonsils (the oval-shaped tissue pads at the
back of your throat) causes tonsillitis – and can lead to a scratchy, muffled
voice. You’ll likely have other symptoms
like a fever, swollen tonsils that look white, yellow, or red, and a sore
throat that makes it hard to swallow.
Voice Stress
When you misuse your voice, it can do temporary damage on
your vocal cords. It could happen if you
talk loudly for a long time, shout, belt out a song at the top of your lungs,
or talk in a really high or really low voice.
It should better with time, rest, and lots of water.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Sometimes the inflammation caused by this condition can
affect a small joint in your neck near your vocal cords called the
cricoarytenoid joint. If you have RA,
ask your doctor about your hoarse voice, especially if you feel like there’s
something stuck in your throat. It could
cause trouble breathing later on.
Thyroid Problems
The thyroid gland sits in your neck just in front of the
nerves that control your vocal cords.
Problems with it that can lead to long-lasting hoarseness include: hyperthyroidism (it makes too much thyroid
hormone, and your body burns energy too fast), hypothyroidism (it makes too
little, and your system gets too slow), or even thyroid cancer.
Nerve Conditions
Diseases like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, or
myasthenia gravis can cause a hoarse, raspy voice because of their effect on
your vocal cord nerves. It’s unlikely
that voice problems would be the first and only symptom you’d have. Usually, they’re just one of many other signs
of these diseases.
Yeast Infection
Do you get chronic laryngitis? It’s rare, but sometimes a fungus – like
those that cause yeast infections – could be to blame. If you use an asthma inhaler, you might be
more likely to have yeast in your vocal cords.
Precancerous Cells
Abnormal cells growing on your larynx or voice box, the
hollow organ that holds your vocal cords – can press on your vocal cords and
keep them from working the way they should.
Your larynx is lined with squamous cells, no cancerous cells go on to be
squamous cell carcinomas. If you find
cancer of the larynx early, it’s easy to treat.
Noncancerous Bumps and Lumps
Growths like polyps, cysts, or nodules aren’t cancerous, but
they can push on vocal cords in the same way precancerous growths do. Professional singers are at high-risk of
getting them. they result from the
constant friction of your vocal cords rubbing together, much like a blister
forms on your heel when your shoe is too tight.
Typically, it takes rest, therapy, or surgery to treat them.
Acid Reflux
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), makes stomach acid
rise up into your throat or even onto your vocal cords. Over time, this laryngopharyngeal reflux
(LPR) irritates your throat issues.
Usually your hoarseness will be worse in the morning, if GERD is the
cause. You may not have any heartburn at
all when you have LPR.
Smoking
Breathing in smoke, either by smoking yourself or by taking
it in secondhand, can cause permanent changes to your vocal cords over
time. When they swell, the pitch of your
voice could get deeper. Smoking also
raises your risk of throat cancer.
Medications
Corticosteroids, the medication inside an asthma inhaler,
can sometimes cause dysphonia – otherwise known as difficulty speaking. Other meds that can mess with your voice
quality include antihistamines, diuretics, anticholinergics used to treat
bladder problems, Parkinson’s disease, or depression; and blood clot medications.
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