Throat and Voice

Disorders of the throat can affect three major functions breathing, speaking, and swallowing. Breathing disorders involving the throat can present as common problems such as snoring or as less common problems such as airway narrowing from scar tissue. Changes in voice can be as simple as viral laryngitis or as complicated as vocal cord paralysis. Changes in swallowing function can be related to neurologic problems or anatomic abnormalities. Acid reflux and tumors/cancers can potentially affect one or more of these important functions. The surgeons at Mass ENT can assess and treat disorders of the throat, providing in-office fiberoptic examinations of the throat and voice box (larynx). Many throat conditions are benign and often do not require surgery. Hoarseness can be further assessed by videostroboscopy, a technique provided in our office that allows us to accurately visualize the delicate structures of the larynx and the fine vibrations of the vocal cord membranes. Voice therapy with our in house voice therapist, Jennifer Winston, is available in our office to resolve many types of hoarseness, often without the need for surgical intervention. In cases requiring surgery, the physicians at Mass ENT employ the latest innovations in laryngeal microsurgical technique (phonosurgery), often in conjunction with voice therapy. We also have longstanding expertise in the rehabilitation of vocal cord abnormalities such as vocal cord paralysis or vocal cord atrophy.

You can obtain more information on specific throat and voice conditions from our website and from the American Academy of Otolaryngology through our website by clicking here.