Tests & Treatments for Voice Disorders at University of Colorado Hospital

Tests for Voice Disorders

Your doctor will first evaluate your voice by taking a history that includes asking you to describe the problem, how long you have had it, what triggers it and what may have caused it. You will also be given a comprehensive examination of your head, neck and throat.

Diagnostic tests for voice disorders include:

Laryngoscopy 

Laryngoscopy to gain a magnified view of the voice box with either a rigid or flexible tube called an endoscope. The rigid scope is passed through the mouth. Theflexible scope is passed through the nose and allows your doctor to examine your voice box while you sing or speak.

Videostroboscopy

Videostroboscopy  to get slow- or fast-moving video pictures of the vocal cords as they vibrate. The videostroboscope is used in conjunction with a rigid or flexible endoscope

Laryngeal electromyography

Measures electrical activity in the muscles of the throat, which can reveal nerve and structural problems

X-rays, CAT scans or MRIs

Detects the presence of masses, tumors or obstructions in the upper airway

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Treatments for Voice Disorders

Some voice disorders can be treated with medications. These include:

Anti-reflux medicine 

Prevents backflow of stomach acids into the esophagus, the muscular tube leading from the back of the throat to the stomach

Thyroid medicines

Treats hypothyroidism, or low functioning of the gland that regulates the rate of functions in your body

Botulinium toxin (a protein) injections 

Botulinium toxin (a protein) injections  into the vocal folds to treat muscle spasms that cause voice disorders (spasmodic dysphonia)

Surgical treatments performed at University of Colorado Hospital for voice disorders

Injection augmentation 

Surgical injection of fat or AlloDerm (a human tissue) to add bulk to the vocal folds for better closure

Type I cricoidplasty 

Implantation of a device behind the muscle that pushes the vocal folds together. The implant helps the muscle to reposition the folds of the voice box so that they are centered