#muscle tension dysphonia

[pxppet]

Mutism/Nonspeaking Awareness Flag

I, like many others, suffer from mutism due to a physical disability. Every flag I've seen for the nonspeaking and nonverbal community is based in autism and related issues, without representation for those of us who are nonspeaking for reasons such as being a cancer survivor, schizophrenia, muscle tension dysphonia, spasmodic dysphonia, aphrasia, brain damage, etc. and related conditions. There are a large variety of conditions that I rarely see representation for, and this flag is for us.

The white stripes represents hope for a more accepting future for nonspeaking and mute people.

The purple stripes represents entirely nonspeaking people.

The blue stripes represents AAC and sign language users.

The green stripes represents people with fluctuating levels of verbality.

The yellow stripe represents community and the way we have each other's backs in this struggle.

The symbol is a vague representation of the lack of a voice. I couldn't decide which one looked better so feel free to use either.

[arinrowan]

when the clinical director calls you in for a meeting to complain about your absences at work and you’re “do I let them know about the documented medical condition before or during?”

[doctxrdoctxr]

Vocal cords with MTD +

[roswellspeaks]

I am so goddamn tired of being sick. Every time I feel better a few weeks later I'm sick again. I haven't done any of the voice exercises my physical therapist has prescribed for me in months because every time I wake up my throat hurts in a new way.

[soumyafwr]

Muscle Tension Dysphonia Treatment 

[astridellejo]

Wrestling With the Greased Pig of Speech/Voice Loss Terminology

Okay. So here's my understanding of the terminology:

Selective Mutism (Situational Mutism) This one seems to stem mostly from anxiety (maybe a little autism too). I don't experience that degree of anxiety often, but it has happened on rare occasions. Personally, I hate this term. It implies that not speaking is a conscious choice. I think situational is a more accurate word. "There are some situations in which my anxiety causes me to be unable to speak. This can be short term or long term. But it is by no means a deliberate, conscious decision on my part. It's more like my brain gets hyper-stimulated or something and just forgets how to make mouth noises."

Nonverbal This term appears to be specifically autism related mutism. I'm ADHD, not autistic, so I don't use this term for myself. And not being autistic, I can't really offer more information on the term.

Nonspeaking I guess this is an alternative to nonverbal that is less autism-specific. I guess. I don't actually know for sure. I'm not really sold on it, though, because kind of like "selective" mutism it kind of implies that a person can speak, but for whatever reason, chooses not to. Don't talk if you don't wanna talk. But I suppose people who are physically unable to talk might take umbrage with your conscious decision not to talk. I'm cool with it, though.

Dysphonia/Aphonia One means "messed up voice" and the other means "no voice at all". Aphonia is a neat word. Right up there with anhedonia. (Ahh, Greek!) I use the term spasmodic dysphonia because that's the official diagnosis I got from the ENT doctor. Apparently there's a more recent term laryngeal dystonia that seems to be preferred, but it doesn't seem to be taking root. So for now, I still have abductor spasmodic dysphonia that has rendered me aphonic. Whee!

Mute This word exists. I'm not sure if I like it, though. I don't have a good reason why I don't really vibe with it. Maybe it's because muting is something we can do to our television or computer or Zoom meeting, implying that it's reversible and temporary. Or maybe it's because in my ASL studies I've learned a little bit about deaf history and the connotations the word mute has.

There are other situations that can lead to loss of speech, like throat trauma, muscle tension dysphonia, aphasia, and probably a bunch more that I haven't even learned about yet.

Anyway, I don't know. I'm still sorting through my thoughts on the whole experience of the last seven months slowly losing my ability to speak with a functional voice. It's weird no longer being able to do a thing that I did effortlessly for over 40 years. I'm handling it reasonably well, I think. I do miss being able to sing and hum to my favorite music, though. That right there I would consider a genuine loss that I'm feeling.

[ladycharles]

Scenes from a vocal practice

Do you know the songs?

(Credits in tags)

I always struggled with hearing since my high school band days (WEAR EARPLUGS), and what I now realize as Muscle Tension Dysphonia, which absolutely mangled my ability to sing for years. I have been completely relearning since a great vocal teacher (Trina Langthorne) set me straight in 2019. I am far from a golden throat but I am proud of my progress, singing every day is therapeutic and fun!

[kyaaaaaatsu]

had some revelations last night:

- my voice did drop, and i could feel it, but i wasn't conscious of it

- my voice dropping coincided with a traumatic event that affected me for months afterward

- because of that event, i was extremely preoccupied with not becoming homeless so i didn't take the time to notice and appreciate what was happening to my voice

- when i was finally out of the woods, it didn't seem like my voice changed at all because i had gotten used to it at that point

- i think my intense feelings surrounding my voice come from (1) regret and (2) shame

- regret: when my voice was dropping i didn't get to "stop and smell the flowers". i was extremely stressed out and alone at the time. i didn't even notice how my voice was changing, i attributed the physical sensations i was having to head colds (tickles in the throat, sore throat with no other symptoms)

- shame: i suspect that one of the reasons the person i was dating at the time broke up with me was because i was starting to look-- and sound-- more masculine. perhaps some of my muscle tension dysphonia is caused by me trying to suppress my "real" voice because i was made to feel wrong about it, i was abandoned because of it.

- i've been forcing my voice up into a higher-pitched head voice for years, i'm basically a master at it. if i hadn't had voice masculinization surgery, my falsetto would be immaculate.

- i've gotten used to speaking like this, so when i try to speak with a deeper voice it feels-- and sounds-- unnatural and "not like me"

- i'm embarrassed about speaking in a deeper voice BECAUSE it sounds unnatural and "not like me", i'm too embarrassed to speak in a deeper voice to other people because they'll hear that i'm forcing my voice deeper and they already know it's not how i usually sound when i speak

- i also still have a lot of shame about my voice, high or low, and i don't know how to resolve that

- i'm jealous of other people who start T and realize their voice is dropping because they are able to take the time to notice and appreciate what is happening, when i couldn't

- i can now take the time to notice and appreciate my voice changing and starting to sound more natural if i am dilligent and persistent about voice therapy, instead of blowing it off and not taking it seriously like i did before-- i truly have believed that it was bunk this whole time, that there was no way it could help change my voice, but although i still sort of feel the same way i'm more willing to give it a chance this time. and, having come to this huge list of realizations, i can be more open to the therapy which will help it be more effective. i was very closed off before, and having the sessions via webcam certainly didn't help me open up

- i can have a natural-sounding, deeper, masculine voice if i practice it. it will take time, but that's okay

- my voice won't transform into a more masculine voice overnight. it will take time-- and work. while i did experience a natural voice drop, i didn't do the work then to maintain it and help it develop naturally. i can do that now. it is a matter of picking up where i left off, but it's also not that simple-- i still have a lot of shame, regret, and jealousy. trans men who started T much later than me will sound more masculine than me, for awhile. i CAN catch up to them.

[candystaples]

really wondering if I have muscle tension dysphonia in my throat after covid. my voice is definitely different, weaker, I struggle to produce the same sounds and feeling I used to, my throat feels dryer than ever and, annoyingly, I can't sing on-key anymore, which is ridiculous

[pxppet]

I do wish that, with writing of JJ, people would include different types of muteness in their stories. Most people make him have what I assume is a vocal cord deformity or a removed/damaged larynx. But that barely scratches the surface of conditions that cause muteness. The majority of nonspeaking people could speak at one point or can speak depending on the situation.

Myself as an example: I have spasmodic dysphonia, which is a neurological condition where my brain sends signals to my larynx to snap shut at random when I'm attempting to speak. It's a lifelong condition that causes the muscles that generate a person’s voice to go into periods of spasm. I can speak, technically. I can make vocalizations for maybe 20 minutes worth of speech on very good days! But it causes me pain and stress the entire time. My quality of life is healthier and much happier if I use sign language and AAC applications.

A lot of conditions that cause muteness are similar, in which the nonspeaking person does not speak because it causes some sort of pain or distress. Muscle tension dysphonia, for instance, is the condition my version of JJ has. There is an abnormality in his voice box that causes him to over-use other muscles in his neck to help produce your voice. Steve-O has this condition, for example! My JJ has caused permanent damage to his voice due to Anti continuing to use his voice while possessing him even though his abnormal voice box was preventing him from speaking normally. Jameson can make strained, gravelly, whispering vocalizations, but it causes him pain. Eventually Anti has used his voice to the point he cannot speak at all due to the damage.

Selective mutism, as another example, is when a person can’t speak in certain settings, but can speak fine in others. It is usually related to stress, certain situations causing so much anxiety to the person that they are unable to speak. It is not a willful decision not to speak, it is anxiety so severe that the ability to communicate just vanishes.

As you can see, the ability to speak or make small noises for short periods of time is more common in nonspeaking conditions than a total lack of sound production. If your Jameson, for instance, had throat cancer and his voice box was completely removed, then that is different as he will not be able to produce any vocalizations. If he has this, however, he can still whistle, cluck his tongue, and make mouth noises to use as responses.

Representation of multiple types of muteness would be a dream come true for me and other nonspeaking people, who have so little representation that it's sad. Explore and learn! Branch out and learn about nonspeaking people and our struggles. Normalize our conditions by familiarizing yourself with them. The less incidents we have of people calling JJ "useless" because he doesn't talk, the better.

[arinrowan]

had to call out, AGAIN, due to smoke. was hoping to get through friday and saturday at least but no dice. Air quality’s bad enough and has been consistently bad all month so my vocal cord has just HAD it. 

[doctxrdoctxr]

Muscle Tension Dysphonia +

[chavaanjanentcare]

Causes Your voice box (larynx) is made up of cartilage, muscle, and mucous membranes and is located between the top of your windpipe (trachea) and the base of your tongue. At the windpipe's entry are two flexible bands of muscle tissue called the vocal cords. When your vocal chords vibrate, sound is produced.

Air passing through the larynx causes this vibration, which brings your voice chords closer together. When you swallow, your vocal cords also help shut your voice box, keeping you from inhaling food or fluids.

Your vocal cords cannot function correctly if they get inflamed, acquire growths, or become paralysed, and you may have a voice issue. The following are some of the most frequent vocal disorders: • Laryngitis • Muscle tension dysphonia • Neurological voice problems such as spasmodic dysphonia • Polyps, nodules, or cysts on the vocal cords (noncancerous lesions) • Precancerous and cancerous lesions

Risk Factors A voice issue can be caused by a number of circumstances, including: • Aging • Alcoholism • Allergies • GERD • Illnesses such as colds or upper respiratory infections • Improper throat cleaning over time • Neurological issues • Stress • Scarring from neck surgery or injuries to the front of the neck • Screaming • Smoking • Throat cancer • Throat dehydration • Thyroid disorders • Misuse or overuse of the voice

Voice disorders can happen to anyone, regardless of profession or existing health conditions. There are various factors that can either trigger or aggravate these disorders. 🗣️ At ASIAN ENT CARE CENTRE, we understand the impact of voice disorders on your daily life and professional activities. Dr. Chava Anjaneyulu, a Senior ENT Surgeon and Chairman of our center, specializes in diagnosing and treating a wide range of voice disorders. 🌟 Why Choose Us: 1️⃣ Senior ENT Surgeon 2️⃣ Chairman of Asian ENT Care Centre 3️⃣ Expertise in Voice Disorders 4️⃣ Comprehensive Evaluation and Treatment 5️⃣ Tailored Solutions for Every Patient 6️⃣ Dedicated to Your Vocal Health and Well-being Whether you're a teacher, singer, call center agent, or anyone experiencing voice-related issues, we're here to help you regain confidence in your voice. 🕰️ Clinic Timings: 🗓️ Monday to Saturday ⏰ 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM & 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH OUR ENT EXPERT TODAY! 📞 Call Us: +91 8179033446 💻 Visit Our Website: https://drchavaanjanentcarecentre.com/

[soumyafwr]

Muscle Tension Dysphonia Treatment Market Size

[entinformativespace]

What are the different types of voice disorders?

Our voice is a powerful tool for communication, but various factors can lead to voice disorders, impacting speech quality and daily interactions. Understanding the different types of voice disorders is crucial for timely diagnosis and effective treatment.

1. Functional Voice Disorders: These disorders occur due to improper use of the vocal folds, often resulting from habits like yelling, excessive throat clearing, or using a wrong pitch. Functional voice disorders can cause hoarseness, vocal fatigue, or a strained voice.

2. Organic Voice Disorders: Organic disorders involve physical issues with the vocal folds. Conditions like vocal nodules (small growths on the vocal folds due to vocal abuse), polyps (fluid-filled sacs), or laryngeal papillomas (wart-like growths) can hinder vocal cord movement, leading to voice changes.

3. Neurological Voice Disorders: Neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease or vocal cord paralysis, affect the nerves controlling the vocal folds. This can result in weak or breathy voice, vocal tremors, or difficulty controlling pitch and loudness.

4. Psychogenic Voice Disorders: Emotional or psychological factors can lead to psychogenic voice disorders. Stress, anxiety, or trauma might cause individuals to lose their voice entirely (aphonia) or experience sudden voice changes.

5. Reactive Airway Disease (RAD) and Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR): Conditions like asthma or acid reflux can irritate the vocal folds, causing chronic coughing or throat clearing, leading to voice problems.

6. Muscle Tension Dysphonia: Muscle tension dysphonia results from excessive tension in the muscles surrounding the voice box, affecting voice quality. Stress and muscle strain contribute to this disorder. Recognizing the symptoms of voice disorders, such as hoarseness, pain, or difficulty speaking, is crucial. Seeking help from an ear, nose, and throat specialist near Central Avenue Road Nagpur 440018 can lead to proper diagnosis and tailored therapies, which may include voice therapy, surgery, or lifestyle modifications. With appropriate intervention, individuals with voice disorders can often regain their vocal health and improve their communication abilities.

[repairyourvoice]

Recognizing Muscle Tension Dysphonia Symptoms – Repair Your Voice

Identify the signs and symptoms of muscle tension dysphonia utilizing the knowledge provided by The Royans Institute for Non-Surgical Voice Repair. Gain an understanding of this voice/vocal condition to pinpoint and thus, address it effectively to achieve the best vocal health possible.