Voice change can occur during a common cold, due to post nasal drip (discharge from the back of the nose irritates the throat and the voice box). The throat pain subsides with treatment for the common cold.
Gastritis and reflux disease can also present as voice change, along with excessive burping, burning in the chest region. This can be treated with antacids, avoiding excessive tea, coffee and aerated drinks, waiting atlleast 1-2 hours to lay down after a meal.
If symptoms are not relieved with the above measures an Upper GI scopy is done to look inside the stomach for evidence of ulcers or H.pylori infection which can be treated accordingly.
In singers/teachers voice change is due to voice abuse, i.e excessive use of the voice in a high pitch makes the voice box swollen and small nodules develop on the vocal cords. These are called singers nodules. These nodules are harmless and NOT cancerous.
They can be treated with voice rest, speech therapy, steroid inhalers.
Rarely voice change, in smokers or tobacco chewers can be cancer of the voice box.
How is voice change treated?
Voice change is investigated by examination of the voice box by video laryngoscopy.
An endoscope connected to a camera is used in this procedure. Local anaesthetic spray is used to numb the back of the throat to prevent vomiting sensation. The endoscope is just kept at the back of the tongue and does not enter the voice box. The procedure takes only 1-2 minutes and is not painful.
