What Are the Symptoms of Spasmodic Dysphonia?
Spasmodic dysphonia is an uncommon voice disorder that causes the muscles in the larynx and voice box to spasm involuntarily. This disorder is relatively rare, affecting approximately 1 in every 100,000 individuals. Individuals with this condition experience spontaneous and uncontrollable spasms or seizing of the affected muscles when speaking.
While spasmodic dysphonia can affect individuals of any age, it is most commonly identified in middle-aged people, and it affects women more than men. Spasmodic dysphonia can lead to significant challenges with communication, as it causes the voice to sound raspy, breathy, or strained during speech. Many individuals with spasmodic dysphonia experience anxiety or discomfort during communication, often causing them to lose confidence and avoid certain situations.
Speech therapy offers support and guidance for those living with spasmodic dysphonia by providing voice therapy and adaptive techniques to improve speech clarity and fluency, facilitate effective communication, and increase confidence. If you or a loved one are living with spasmodic dysphonia and need communication support, connect with one of our experienced and specialized speech therapists by scheduling your free introductory call today!
How Does Spasmodic Dysphonia Affect Communication?
The symptoms of spasmodic dysphonia and their effect on communication typically vary between cases. Some of the most common symptoms of this voice disorder include:
- Speech production appears difficult or requires a lot of effort
- The voice sounds strained during speech
- Speech is overly quiet or weak, making it difficult to hear and understand
- Speech sounds jerky, disjointed, or broken
- The voice sounds breathy, hoarse, or shaky
- The voice sounds tight or strangled
These symptoms tend to develop gradually, getting worse over time. The severity of symptoms also varies widely, with some individuals struggling to clearly produce a word or two here and there while others are unable to speak at all.
What Makes Spasmodic Dysphonia Worse?
In many cases, spasmodic dysphonia and its symptoms begin slowly, causing vocal issues and communication challenges every once in a while. As time progresses, the symptoms of spasmodic dysphonia worsen and become more frequent. Experiencing stress or fatigue can exacerbate vocal problems related to the condition. Speaking for extended periods of time or excessive shouting can also make spasmodic dysphonia worse. Some individuals with the condition find that consuming alcohol or caffeine intensifies their symptoms and decreases their vocal control.
Cold or dry air and other environmental factors can also make spasmodic dysphonia worse, as can viral infections, allergies, or any other factors that affect the respiratory system.
How do you Test for Spasmodic Dysphonia?
An experienced and qualified speech and language pathologist can test the voice for quality and production. Healthcare providers, especially those who specialize in the ears, nose, and throat, can also diagnose the disorder.
The process of diagnosing spasmodic dysphonia by a healthcare provider typically involves a full health and medical history and a physical exam to check the condition and dexterity of the vocal folds. They may also check for an underlying neurological condition.
If you want to learn more about the diagnosis of spasmodic dysphonia or are ready to get started with speech therapy, we’d love to hear from you. Connect with us by scheduling your free introductory call today!
What Disorders Confuse the Diagnosis of Spasmodic Dysphonia?
Because of the varied and often inconsistent symptoms of spasmodic dysphonia, in some cases, it can be difficult to diagnose and is confused with other similar conditions. Some of the disorders that confuse the diagnosis of spasmodic dysphonia include:
Muscle Tension Dysphonia - Muscle tension dysphonia causes the muscles in the throat to become excessively tense and tight, causing the voice to sound hoarse or strained during speech.
Essential Tremor of the Voice - This condition is neurological in nature, which causes the voice to shake, often sounding similar to the vocal breaks caused by spasmodic dysphonia.
Vocal Cord Paralysis - Vocal cords become paralyzed due to nerve damage in the vocal cords, often resulting in a breathy or weak-sounding speaking voice.
Parkinson’s Disease - Many individuals with Parkinson’s disease develop a weak or soft-sounding voice or vocal tremor. They may also speak in a monotone voice, which can be similar to the voice of someone with spasmodic dysphonia.
Correctly diagnosing spasmodic dysphonia typically requires the collaboration of multiple professionals and healthcare providers, as it can easily be misdiagnosed.
How to Fix Spasmodic Dysphonia?
While there is currently no known cure for spasmodic dysphonia, there are several methods of treatment available that help to manage the symptoms of this condition. One of the most widely used treatment methods for spasmodic dysphonia is the use of botulinum (botox) injections into the affected muscles. Botulinum is a toxin that weakens the muscles by preventing nerve impulses from reaching the muscle. These injections typically improve voice quality and control for 3-4 months, when symptoms usually return. Injections are needed on an ongoing basis to manage symptoms and maintain a functional speaking voice and basic communication abilities. While botulinum injections are widely regarded as an effective mode of treatment for spasmodic dysphonia, they don’t help in every case.
Voice therapy with a specialized speech and language pathologist has been shown to help reduce symptoms of spasmodic dysphonia in many cases. Speech therapy for spasmodic dysphonia often involves focusing on breath control, diaphragmatic breathing, optimizing airflow during speech, slowing speech patterns, and improving resonance and pitch variation. The speech therapist may also work on relaxation and stress management techniques to reduce muscle tension in the neck, throat, and chest, and reduce anxiety.
Many people with spasmodic dysphonia will work with a qualified speech therapist alongside their botulinum injections to make the most of both methods of treatment.
In some cases, individuals with spasmodic dysphonia will use augmentative and assistive communication devices to express themselves more clearly and easily. These devices may amplify the voice or translate text into synthetic speech.
In more extreme instances of spasmodic dysphonia, surgical interventions on the larynx are needed. There are several surgical techniques used to treat the condition, and generally, these interventions result in positive outcomes, but results tend to vary between cases.
Speech therapy for spasmodic dysphonia offers a non-invasive treatment option to improve communication, lessen the symptoms related to the condition, and improve overall confidence and self-esteem. If you or a loved one is ready to get started on the path to clearer communication and improved vocal health, schedule your free introductory call today!