What makes a husky voice

Some causes are temporary, such as excessive shouting. This article discusses the possible reasons for a hoarse voice, whether it is a cause for concern, and some treatment options.

It can indicate an issue with the vocal cords or throat. Hoarseness may be a sign of inflammation in the larynx, known as laryngitis. The larynx, also called the voice box, sits at the top of the throat and contains the vocal cords. The vocal cords are two bands of cartilage and muscle that vibrate when a person speaks or eats. The size and shape of the vocal folds determine how a voice sounds.

Laryngitis is one of the most common causes of a hoarse voice, and the condition can be acute or chronic. Acute laryngitis is usually due to an infection of the upper respiratory tract, such as the flu. Healthcare professionals define laryngitis as chronic if it persists beyond 3 weeks.

They may experience a hoarse voice quickly, which can affect their singing voice. Vocal cord paralysis occurs when one or both vocal folds fail to open or close properly. This can be due to:. Some neurological conditions can affect the parts of the brain that control the throat and larynx muscles.

Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid rises and irritates the throat. In some people, it can damage the larynx. Healthcare professionals refer to this as laryngopharyngeal reflux LPR. GERD is a severe form of acid reflex.

If a person has GERD, they may notice a hoarse voice that is worse in the morning. The indicators of a hoarse voice include a low, raspy voice. It can occur with other symptoms, depending on the underlying cause. According to the Voice Foundation , other possible symptoms with a hoarse voice include:. The first step is to make kids aware of the behavior and see how often they do it. Older kids might learn to keep track of how often they engage in the behavior perhaps keeping notes in a diary , which many do without realizing.

Then they can practice the skills they've learned in therapy when at home, at school, and spending time with friends. Parents can encourage good vocal habits by setting a good example themselves. For example, rather than calling to kids from another room, walk into the other room to talk to them. Promote quiet times perhaps for half an hour each day and using an "inside voice" when indoors. Reward systems that encourage these new behaviors can help elementary school-age kids succeed.

Offer stickers, tokens, extra TV time, a later bedtime, or similar "prizes" to get kids on board with the new, healthier habits. Reviewed by: Patrick C. Barth, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Does Being Hoarse Mean? What Are the Vocal Cords?

What Causes Chronic Hoarseness? Nodules can happen when kids do things like these for long periods: yelling, screaming, cheering, or crying raising or lowering the pitch of the voice speaking in a strained voice, like imitating animals or cartoon characters repetitive coughing or throat clearing singing or talking without taking a good breath talking extremely loud or fast starting words forcefully Other causes of hoarseness include: growths on or near the vocal cords vocal cord paralysis when vocal cord nerves lose their function smoking , secondhand smoke , vaping chronic sinusitis or allergies hypothyroidism gastroesophageal reflux GER radiation therapy in those being treated for throat cancer How Are Vocal Cord Nodules Diagnosed?

The ENT will: ask about the child's medical history listen for strain or breathiness in the voice do a diagnostic test to get an internal view of the voice box and check vocal cord function The diagnostic test options include: Flexible laryngoscopy. How Is Chronic Hoarseness Treated? How Can Parents Help? Sometimes people whose jobs depend on their voices—such as teachers, singers, or public speakers—develop hoarseness that won't go away. If you use your voice for a living and you regularly experience hoarseness, your doctor might suggest seeing a speech-language pathologist for voice therapy.

In voice therapy, you'll be given vocal exercises and tips for avoiding hoarseness by changing the ways in which you use your voice. Gastroesophageal reflux GERD. GERD—commonly called heartburn—can cause hoarseness when stomach acid rises up the throat and irritates the tissues. Usually hoarseness caused by GERD is worse in the morning and improves throughout the day. In some people, the stomach acid rises all the way up to the throat and larynx and irritates the vocal folds.

This is called laryngopharyngeal reflux LPR. LPR can happen during the day or night. Some people will have no heartburn with LPR, but they may feel as if they constantly have to cough to clear their throat and they may become hoarse. Vocal nodules, polyps, and cysts. Vocal nodules, polyps, and cysts are benign noncancerous growths within or along the vocal folds. Vocal nodules are sometimes called "singer's nodes" because they are a frequent problem among professional singers.

They form in pairs on opposite sides of the vocal folds as the result of too much pressure or friction, much like the way a callus forms on the foot from a shoe that's too tight.

A vocal polyp typically occurs only on one side of the vocal fold. A vocal cyst is a hard mass of tissue encased in a membrane sac inside the vocal fold. The most common treatments for nodules, polyps, and cysts are voice rest, voice therapy, and surgery to remove the tissue. Vocal fold hemorrhage. Vocal fold hemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel on the surface of the vocal fold ruptures and the tissues fill with blood.

If you lose your voice suddenly during strenuous vocal use such as yelling , you may have a vocal fold hemorrhage. Sometimes a vocal fold hemorrhage will cause hoarseness to develop quickly over a short amount of time and only affect your singing but not your speaking voice. Vocal fold hemorrhage must be treated immediately with total voice rest and a trip to the doctor. Vocal fold paralysis. Vocal fold paralysis is a voice disorder that occurs when one or both of the vocal folds don't open or close properly.

It can be caused by injury to the head, neck or chest; lung or thyroid cancer; tumors of the skull base, neck, or chest; or infection for example, Lyme disease. People with certain neurologic conditions such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease or who have sustained a stroke may experience vocal fold paralysis. In many cases, however, the cause is unknown. Vocal fold paralysis is treated with voice therapy and, in some cases, surgery.