Hello doctor,I have been having voice trouble since last seven months. I oversang one night, and for about three months after that, it was extremely fatiguing to speak. I had an ENT look at my cords with the mirror right at the beginning, and he said there was minor irritation, but no nodules. The timbre of my voice did not change, no raspiness. No voice teacher or speech-language pathologist had any idea why it was not getting better. Gradually, after about 12 weeks, things went back to about 90 % of normal. Recently, I was at a party and started noticing my voice feeling swollen as I was talking (not that loudly). It has been four days, and my voice still hurts. It feels swollen, and sometimes there is a little mucus on the cords. Again, talking is extremely uncomfortable, with minimal to no change in timbre. I can still sweep the range smoothly. It just hurts. Any idea what is going on? Could I have permanently damaged something? I would like to get a videostroboscopy, but I do not know where to go for it.
Hello. 1. The conclusions from your problems can be a vocal cyst which is not seen through a head mirror, so you can get an endoscopy done after which if not conclusive can go for videostroboscopy which is the ultimate tool. 2. You told you were using Levothyroxine. Are you hypothyroid, proven and on medication? Thyroid problems can show effect on your vocal cords. 3. Are you allergic to dust and pollen? Do you have symptoms like sneezing, watering of eyes and watery discharge of nose? 4. Prilosec is a drug to prevent the vocal cords from the damage of acid being produced from our body, which is a good drug to use. 5. There are few medications like oral steroids which are not OTC drugs, hence can be prescribed only by doctors in your place. 6. I need to get your immunity checked which includes vitamin D , thyroid profile and a blood eosinophil count. Hope we can permanently cure your problem with the above history and investigations.