Sometimes glottic insufficiency is not necessarily a medical condition but rather a natural process of aging (presbylaryngis). The thinning vocal muscles may cause a decrease in fullness of the vocal folds, resulting in a gap in between them. Consequently, voice quality fluctuates, controlling pitch and volume of the voice becomes difficult, and overall vocal quality is reduced.

Vocal insufficiency may arise from any variety of causes. These include nerve injury, vocal cord paralysis, neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease, or tumors. Vocal paresis may also cause glottic Insufficiency. It happens when the vocal nerve becomes partially weakened. Vocal paralysis happens in the case of total weakness and normally causes a severe case of glottic Insufficiency. Often this causes near complete loss of voice, but in some cases voice key be minimally affected.

Vocal fatigue is most often characterized by a weakening voice as the day progresses. Progressive use of the voice may result in general fatigue or shortness of breath. Hoarseness may result and become chronic without proper treatment. Speech therapy and exercises are often all that is needed to treat vocal fatigue. Proper diagnosis is key to initiating the appropriate treatment plan.

During your appointment at Shea clinic, the doctor will examine the vocal cords with the latest endoscopic equipment and stroboscopy to assess abnormalities of vocal fold movement. Additional tests and imaging may also be required to improve the accuracy of the evaluation. Additional tests become necessary when it is suspected that systematic disease may have caused the condition.

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