Voice, Swallowing & Airway Disorders
Voice, Swallowing & Airway Disorder Care at UVM Health
Your ability to speak, swallow and breathe freely is essential to your quality of life. University of Vermont Health laryngology team provides exceptional care for conditions related to the voice box (larynx), back of throat (oropharynx) and nearby tissues. Patients and physicians across the region seek our expertise in these complex conditions.
Our team works with you to understand your needs and develop a personalized treatment plan to ensure you receive the best care possible.
Why Choose UVM Health?
We offer state-of-the-art diagnostic techniques and a full spectrum of medical, surgical and behavioral therapies in a collaborative, supportive environment.
As a leading ear, nose and throat (ENT) program in the region, we offer:
- Experienced team: We are home to the only fellowship-trained laryngologist in the region. Our laryngology team also includes speech-language pathologists who specialize in voice, swallowing and airway disorders.
- Multidisciplinary care: Our specialists collaborate with experts across UVM Health to assist with diagnosis and treatment and ensure coordinated, seamless care.
- Advanced diagnostic testing: We use highly specialized diagnostic tools you may not find elsewhere in the region, such as laryngeal electromyography (EMG), to check the nerve inputs to your vocal cords, and acoustic voice analysis, which is performed by our speech-language pathologists.
- Laryngeal Botox® injections: Botox injections have many medical applications, including treating spasms in the vocal cord muscles (spasmodic dysphonia). People across the region come to us for this specialty service.
Voice & Swallowing Conditions We Treat
Voice disorders interfere with your ability to produce sound and can affect voice quality, pitch and loudness. Common causes of voice disorders include overuse, aging, smoking, inhaler use and certain medical conditions.
People of all ages experience voice disorders. It’s common to have more than one condition affecting the voice. We frequently provide care for people who use their voices professionally, such as singers, teachers and customer service representatives.
Types of voice disorders and voice-related conditions include:
- Contact granuloma: A noncancerous growth on the back of the vocal cords
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Repeated backwash of acid (acid reflux) from your stomach to your esophagus and throat that can affect your voice and damage your larynx
- Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease: A condition similar to GERD that doesn’t cause heartburn
- Laryngitis: Acute (short, severe) or chronic (long-term) inflammation of the larynx caused by infection, irritation or overuse
- Parkinson’s disease: A neurological disorder that can affect the voice
- Polyps, nodules and cysts: Noncancerous callous-, blister- or sac-like growths in the larynx
- Spasmodic dysphonia: A chronic voice disorder caused by spasms in the muscles of the larynx
- Tumor of the larynx: A mass of rapidly growing cells in the voice box that can be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign), such as laryngeal papillomas (fast-growing benign tumors caused by human papillomavirus (HPV))
- Vocal fold atrophy: Thinning of the vocal cords that is usually age-related
- Vocal fold paralysis: Improperly functioning vocal folds that don’t open and close as they should
- Vocal tremor: Rhythmic movements of the muscles in the larynx
Swallowing requires a complex set of muscle movements that move food to the back of your throat and into your esophagus. Swallowing disorders (dysphagia) are often related to neurological conditions, such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
Other swallowing disorders are a result of structural problems like Zenker’s diverticulum, a condition that causes a pouch to form in the back of your throat. This pouch can obstruct your throat or trap food.
Airway disorders affect the windpipe (trachea), which carries air from your mouth and nose to your lungs. Common airway conditions we treat include:
- Respiratory papillomatosis: Fast-growing, noncancerous tumors in the airway caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Subglottic stenosis: A narrowing of the subglottis, the section of windpipe below your vocal cords
- Traumatic injury: An injury to the windpipe that interferes with breathing
- Tracheostomy scarring: A hardening of the tissue around a tracheostomy tube (a surgical opening through the neck into the windpipe that improves air flow to your lungs)
Diagnosing Voice, Swallowing & Airway Disorders
When you come to us for treatment of a voice, swallowing or airway disorder, you have access to advanced tests and expert evaluations. Your provider will start by talking about your symptoms and medical history, then perform a thorough exam.
Tests used by our laryngologists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to diagnose voice, swallowing and airway disorders include:
- Acoustic voice analysis: A speech-language pathologist records your voice and uses special software to analyze its pitch, clarity, range and loudness. The SLP also assesses the impact voice problems have on your life.
- Laryngeal electromyography (EMG): This test measures electrical activity in the vocal cord muscles. A laryngologist inserts thin needles (electrodes) into the muscles and applies electrode stickers to your skin to measure electrical signals.
- Flexible laryngoscopy: A laryngoscope is a flexible tube equipped with a light and camera that is inserted into your nose and down your throat. This quick, painless, in-office test allows your physician to look inside your voice box.
- Laryngeal videostroboscopy: This test uses a flexible tube equipped with a camera and strobe light. The pulsing light allows your physician to detect small changes in vocal cord function.
- Modified barium swallow fluoroscopy: This type of x-ray looks at how you swallow food and liquids in real-time.
- Swallowing studies: A SLP asks you about your symptoms and medical history and checks the structures of your mouth and throat. They may ask you to swallow different liquids and foods to check for problems, such as choking or aspiration into your windpipe.
Voice, Swallowing & Airway Disorder Treatment
At UVM Health, we offer you a tailored treatment plan that may include one or more treatment strategies. We typically take a conservative approach, starting with the least invasive treatments first.
Treatments we offer include:
Medications can be an effective treatment for underlying conditions that cause voice problems, such as acid reflux and allergies. A laryngologist injects Botox and fillers into the vocal cords to improve voice quality.
Botox® is a drug that comes from the toxin-producing bacteria, Clostridium botulinum. When injected into the vocal cords, Botox reduces muscle spasms associated with spasmodic dysphonia. A laryngologist gives Botox injections through your neck while a neurologist monitors your vocal cords using laryngeal electromyography (EMG).
Filler injections help thicken and plump the vocal cords. This treatment can improve voice quality for people with vocal cord atrophy or paralysis.
Our SLPs have extensive expertise delivering voice therapy, a type of physical therapy for the vocal cords. You can receive vocal therapy services at UVM Health locations throughout Vermont and northern New York.
Voice therapy may include vocal or breathing exercises, depending on the type of vocal problem you have. Your therapist may also recommend lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, reducing alcohol use and staying hydrated. Patients with Parkinson’s disease receive a unique type of vocal therapy that uses biofeedback to overcome soft and tentative speaking.
Swallowing therapy is an exercise program that can improve your ability to swallow food and liquids. Our speech language therapists develop a treatment plan that includes routine appointments and home exercises. They assess your progress and coordinate with a laryngologist to optimize your overall care.
Surgery may be the best option to remove growths or scarred tissue or open a narrow airway. At UVM Health, our team uses the latest tools and techniques, such as endoscopes and lasers, to perform delicate operations. Our team has years of experience and exceptional skill navigating the delicate structures of the voice box and airway.
Wellness & Prevention
Evidence shows that proactive health care focused on preventing illness leads to better outcomes. We're here to help you live a healthier, happier life. We offer wellness and prevention services to empower you to take control of your health.
Locations Near You
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111 Colchester Avenue
Burlington, VT 05401
111 Colchester Avenue
Main Campus, West Pavilion, Level 4
Burlington, VT 05401
210 Cornelia Street
Suite 401
Plattsburgh, NY 12901-2318
111 Colchester Avenue
Main Campus, West Pavilion, Level 4
Burlington, VT 05401-1473
3113 Roosevelt Highway
Colchester, VT 05446
790 College Parkway
Fanny Allen Campus
Colchester, VT 05446
116 Porter Drive
Middlebury, VT 05753-1419
130 Fisher Road
Suite 3-1
Berlin, VT 05602-9000