Early acoustic manifestations of dysphonia

A voice is defined as dysphonic when one or more acoustic parameters—such as timbre, pitch, intensity of the emitted sound, or its flexibility—are altered compared to the voice of other individuals of the same sex, age, and cultural group.

There are two main areas of voice alteration: one related to the subjective sensation the patient has of their own voice, and the other that can be objectively assessed, where alterations in these acoustic characteristics and morphological and physiological changes of the vocal cords can be found.

Patients with functional dysphonia often complain of acoustic disturbances in their voice, although they are usually unable to describe them precisely. The relevance and intensity of the symptoms vary from patient to patient.

Its manifestations can be divided into three groups of signs and symptoms: those related to the patient’s subjective sensations, those related to the general behavior during voice use, and those related to the characteristics of the voice (pitch, volume, and timbre). It is very rare for these to appear in isolation.

Among the subjective symptoms, it is common for patients to initially report vocal fatigue, which increases over time. They also describe paresthesia in the pharyngeal, laryngeal, or perilaryngeal area, with sensations of pain, itching, or burning. The most frequent complaint is the sensation of a foreign body in the larynx, along with a general sense of tension.

In addition, patients often report a lack of respiratory efficiency, with sensations such as shortness of breath or chest tightness during voice use. A lack of vocal efficiency is commonly reported, as well as the feeling that the voice does not reach all listeners, and an absence of self-perception regarding vocal effort.

An osteopathic evaluation of laryngeal biomechanics will help to understand and resolve compensatory and overload patterns in order to facilitate professional reintegration and/or speech therapy work.

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Valentina Carlile - Osteopath specializing in Osteopathy for Voice and Speech Disorders since 2002. For information and bookings, visit the Contact page.

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