When you have issues with swallowing and your voice, everyone notices and life can be difficult.
You may think you have to adapt your lifestyle to conditions like dysphagia and dysphonia, but medical professionals such as speech-language pathologists and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors can help manage your symptoms so you can live a better life.
Various medical conditions cause dysphagia. It’s a swallowing disorder that makes it very difficult to do things like move liquid from your mouth to your stomach or keep saliva in your mouth. You may only eat food if it’s cut into small pieces to avoid choking or regurgitating your meal.
Dysphonia, also known as spasmodic dysphonia (SD), is a voice disorder that makes your vocal cords contract or spasm involuntarily.
Your voice may sound strained, broken, or breathy depending on your type of SD. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and include breaks in your voice during speech, increased effort with speaking, and gradual or sudden difficulty speaking.
While there isn’t a cure for either of these conditions, there are ways a medical professional can help you manage your symptoms in order to live a better life. Two of the safest and most effective treatments for dysphonia include voice therapy and Botox, which can provide about two months of close-to-normal voice function for many patients.
Managing dysphagia takes a little more work, which is why it’s critical to find a provider that offers state-of-the-art techniques and equipment like Synchrony by ACP. This interactive system allows for the visualization of your swallowing activity through virtual reality biofeedback.
If you’re struggling to speak or swallow, we highly recommend you contact the renowned mouth and throat ENTs at ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in conjunction with the speech and language therapy services we offer.
To learn more about how they can help you manage the symptoms from dysphagia and dysphonia, call us today at 703-448-0005 to schedule an appointment today!
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