Change in Voice
A change in voice is a common symptom in many benign illnesses. It can also, however, be an early sign of a cancerous or pre-cancerous lesion, particularly among people with a history of smoking for a period of > 10 years of their life. Most commonly, a change in voice is an accompanying symptom of a cold or flu-like illness where the viral cause begins to attack or assault the skin of the voice box. This causes changes in the delicate covering of the vocal cords. This will cause the natural texture of the vocal cords, which is similar in consistency to very thin Jello, to stiffen, which usually leads to a decrease in the primary frequency of the voice (a lower tone). This swelling is due to the inflammatory response itself, which causes blood vessels to leak more readily, which causes swelling due to the water component of the blood leaking out and filling the surrounding tissues.This can also occur due to non-infectous reasons. For example, reflux is a common insult to the vocal folds. This is when a mild chemical burn occurs due to the low pH (high acidity) of the gastric fluid. Interestingly, scientists have measured acid in the esophagus of many people who do not report any recent heart burn. These "silent" refluxers can have other symptoms that are not commonly associated with gastric acid reflux, such as a lower voice, a "scratchy" voice, throat clearing, and the feeling of something caught in the throat.
Rarely, a growing tumor can begin to change the voice. Interestingly, the diagnosis of a cancer of the true vocal cords (the vibrating surface of the voice box) usually occurs very early in its staging history. This is due to the very noticeable change in voice that often accompanies the early stage of its growth. Patients then tend to seek medical evaluation at this early stage leading to very early diagnosis and consequently a favorable cure rate. It is for this reason that one should seek a specialist evaluation for any voice change that lasts longer than two weeks; particularly if there has been a smoking history of 10 years or more.
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