Entry #582983, added on 05-03-08 @ 2:59 am EDT
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Your vocal folds are bands of tissue attached to your larynx and stretching across the top of your airway (trachea). When you breathe in and out silently, the larynx is relaxed so the vocal folds are open and the air flows freely. When you speak, the larynx moves so that the vocal folds are closed together, but loose enough that air can be forced through. When that happens, the folds vibrate (phonation). You can put your fingers on your throat while saying "Ahhhh!" and feel this vibration.
Whispers are formed when the vocal folds are held tautly, but only partially closed. They don't vibrate--feel your throat again while you whisper--but create enough friction as the air passing through to form sounds.
The size of your larynx determines the pitch range of your voice. You change pitch within your range by tightening or loosening the tension of your vocal folds as air passes through. Controlling the larynx and the airflow also change loudness.
A common voice disorder is laryngitis. Laryngitis is best explained as a swelling of the vocal folds. When they're swollen, they don't vibrate easily. Vocal strain such as laryngitis frequently results from overuse of the vocal folds, such as yelling at a sporting event. Irritation from pollution or allergies can make the problem worse. Generally, vocal rest (not talking) is the best cure. Don't whisper, either--remember that whispering stretches and strains the vocal folds, too.
Excessive vocal strain can lead to callus-like bumps on the vocal folds called vocal nodules or blister-like polyps. These also change the vibration ability of the folds and usually add a hoarse or breathy sound to the voice. Vocal rest, combined with behavioral retraining for more efficient voice use, is frequently the first step in treating these growths. Sometimes, surgery may be required.
The movement of the vocal folds can be affected by injury to the tissue or to the nerves that control it. This can happen as a result of an injury, surgery, tumor, stroke, or other disease. A tracheotomy, or surgical puncture into the airway from the front of the throat, is sometimes necessary for medical reasons. This condition is often temporary, but certain airflow valves can return phonation ability to some people with long-term tracheostomies.
A laryngectomy is the surgical removal of the larynx and a certain amount of surrounding tissue. Cancer is the most common reason for this surgery, but neck trauma is another. When the larynx is removed, the airway can no longer be closed off from the back of the throat. The airway is then brought forward to exit through a stoma cut into the front of the throat. Inside, the mouth and nose now lead only to the esophagus; airflow is only possible through the stoma. Without vocal folds, regular phonation is not possible. When air is not drawn in through the nose and mouth, taste and smell are affected. The stoma must now be protected so that dirt, water, and other materials do not enter since it is an opening directly into the airway. An electrolarynx is the most widely recognized device for aiding the speech of people who have had laryngectomies. The device vibrates and is pressed against the throat. Those vibrations travel through the neck tissues and can be shaped by movements in the mouth to form speech sounds.
For more detailed information on voice disorders, please visit http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/voice.htm. |
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