Dysphonia is a general term for voice impairment that is sometimes used synonymously with the perceptual voice quality of hoarseness. It is the reason for 1% of all visits to primary care providers. The lifetime risk of hoarse voice complaints among primary care patients is 30%. Since hoarseness is a general symptom, it is associated with a number of laryngeal diagnoses. There is an interplay of sex and age differences associated with dysphonia. The point prevalence of dysphonia in adults under the age of 65 is 6.6%. Dysphonia is more common in adult females than males, possibly due to sex-related anatomical differences of the vocal mechanism. In childhood, however, dysphonia is more often found in boys than girls. As there are no anatomical differences in larynges of boys and girls prior to puberty, it has been proposed that the higher rate of voice impairment found in boys arises from louder social activities, personality factors, or more frequent inappropriate vocal use. The most common laryngeal diagnosis among children is vocal fold nodules, a condition known to be associated with vocally damaging behaviours. However, a causal relationship has not yet been definitively proven. The overall prevalence of dysphonia in children ranges from 3.9% - 23.4%, most commonly affecting children between the ages of 8 - 14. Among the elderly, dysphonia is associated with both naturally occurring anatomical and physiological changes as well as higher rates of pathological conditions. The point prevalence of dysphonia among the elderly is 29%. Findings regarding the prevalence of geriatric dysphonia in the general population are very variable, ranging from 4 - 29.1%. This variability is likely due to different methodology used in obtaining information from participants. The most common laryngeal diagnoses among the elderly are polyps, laryngopharyngeal reflux, muscle tension dysphonia, vocal fold paresis or paralysis, vocal fold mass, glottic insufficiency, malignant lesions, and neurologic conditions affecting the larynx.
symptom of Laryngitis
symptom of Pharyngitis
symptom of Epiglottitis
symptom of Sinusitis
symptom of Croup
symptom of Tonsillitis
symptom of Mouth breathing
symptom of Bronchitis