Vocal Cords: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

There are no synonyms for vocal cords.

The vocal cords are the medium through which an individual speaks. The vocal cords are two bands of elastic muscle tissue. They are located side by side in the voice box (larynx) just above the windpipe (trachea). Like other tissues in the body, vocal cords can be strained and damaged. Vocal cords are also subject to infections, tumors and trauma.

Strained vocal cords generally aren't noticed until the problem becomes severe. People who use their voices for a living or who shout or scream frequently are at particular risk. People who work in noisy environments that require shouting to communicate are also at risk. Men and women have different sizes of vocal fold s (cords) and this is the reason why the pitch of the voices of different sexes is not the same. As you grow up your voice changes and it becomes somewhat deeper. We all know that vibration causes sound thus the vocal folds also vibrate when we emit any form of sound. An organ called the epiglottis is situated to prevent food from entering the vocal chords. If the food somehow passes into the vocal cord instead of the food pipe then your body will try and cough it out otherwise you would suffer from pulmonary aspiration.

In mild cases of vocal cord disorders, it can be treated using medications or gargles which heal that area and soothe it. However in extreme cases where the folds are infected or inflamed due to exposure, a proper surgery needs to be undergone that would cure the symptoms.

Your doctor will ask about your medical history. The doctor will listen to the quality of your voice and then inspect your vocal cords. This is usually done by holding a small mirror at the back of your mouth. To get a better view, the doctor may use a small, flexible lighted tube with a camera at the end. The tube is inserted through the nose to the larynx. Some individuals who face problems while speaking are advised to obtain speech therapy sessions where your vocal cords are stimulated in order to help you produce sound. There are instances when you might have a broken voice if your vocal folds are pressurized beyond a certain level. The problems associated with your voice are mainly caused by the abnormal disorders associated with your vocal folds and the inflammations associated with it. If the food is passed in to your vocal cord and it is left untreated then you might face respiratory problems which will cause you to choke fatally.

Anyone going through an issue of the vocal cords, be it scratching, vocal paralysis, vocal cord nodules, vocal cord polyps, or laryngitis can undergo treatment of the same.

There is no age restriction for the eligibility of vocal cord treatment. From children to adults, anyone going through an issue of the vocal cords can undergo treatment.

Irritation or diseases of the vocal cords can cause annoyance during swallowing, scratchiness, hoarse voice, and further throat infections. However the treatment is safe and guarantees no side effects for the longest time possible.

The affected individual has to take care of his vocal cords by not straining his or her voice. Warm water gargles is a must, in addition to the doctor's recommended medicine or gargle syrup. The individual needs to thoroughly rest for a week or so before trying to speak up in a loud voice or use the voice for singing.

It takes about 2 weeks to recover from the treatment of any disorders associated with the vocal cords.

The price of treatment of the vocal cords would depend on the severity of the issue. The medicines or gargle syrups available for mild cases would start from Rs. 500 or so and the surgery for the treatment of the same for extreme cases, like vocal cord ulcers or cancer would cost about Rs. 35,000.

The results of the treatment are semi permanent. The vocal cords, if strained again, can be affected with infections or symptoms that would require thorough medication again.