Aging Voice Problems

As we get older, our voices change. Some of this stems from other aging-related processes: we lose muscle mass, our mucous membranes thin and become drier, our lung capacity lessens, and we lose some of our fine muscle coordination. Changes can also occur in the voice box, such as vocal cord thinning or bowing.

Changes in the voice as we age can include:

• Reduced volume or projection of the voice
• A breathier-sounding voice
• Reduced vocal stamina
• Voice weakness
• Higher pitch in men
• Lower pitch in women

A voice evaluation can clarify your diagnosis and determine the best treatment for your condition.

There are many options available to improve your vocal quality and stamina. A laryngologist will usually recommend a short course of voice therapy and then reassess your condition. If you need additional treatment, a procedure or surgery may be recommended to augment and improve the vocal fold edge and closure. After a vocal cord augmentation procedure or surgery, additional voice therapy can help you learn how to use your new voice to sound your best.

Voice Therapy
Voice therapy teaches you to use your voice in a more effective manner. You will learn how to use your breath to power your voice, find your optimal pitch and volume, and to reduce muscle strain in the throat. You will also learn how to use good oral resonance (that is how air flows through your mouth and nose when you speak).

Vocal Cord Augmentation Procedures

• Injectable Fillers
  Injectable fillers add bulk to vocal cords that have lost muscle tone due to aging or vocal cord paralysis. The material is injected using a tiny needle inserted into the area next to one or both vocal cords. The injection helps the vocal cords close better, creating a stronger, clearer voice. This can be done in the operating room under general anesthesia or during an office visit with topical numbing to the area. The fillers are reabsorbed by your body over time.
   
• Thyroplasty Surgery
  For more severe vocal fold atrophy, if you have already undergone the temporary injectable filler procedure and like the results, a thyroplasty surgery can make the change permanent. An implant (like a tiny shim) is placed through the voice box to permanently reposition your vocal cord to achieve better closure during speech, which results in a stronger voice. This procedure requires a small incision in the neck and is performed in the operating room using heavy but not complete sedation. This is so you can respond to the surgeon to ensure optimal placement of the implant. After that, you will be asleep under general anesthesia while the surgeon completes the procedure.

Comprehensive Care
We are one of only a few centers in the Southeast offering comprehensive care for voice problems in older adults. We work with other specialists to manage any medical conditions that affect your voice.

Team of Specialists
Your care team will include laryngologists -- ear, nose, and throat doctors with advanced training in voice problems -- and speech pathologists who specialize in treating voice problems in older adults.

Expert Diagnosis
You'll benefit from a comprehensive voice evaluation that looks into all the factors that may be contributing to your voice problem. These include medical conditions, medications, the way you use your voice, as well as your age.

Latest Treatments
Our laryngologists are trained in the most advanced techniques in voice surgery to treat age-related vocal cord thinning, whether it's offering a temporary filler to plump up the edges of the vocal cords or a permanent vocal cord augmentation (surgically moving the vocal cord to improve vocal cord closure for a better, stronger voice).

Specialty Care for Singers and Professional Voice Performers
If you sing, whether professionally or for personal enjoyment, you can consult with our clinical singing voice specialists -- speech pathologists who are also experienced singers and singing teachers. They are trained to work with the whole age range of voices and are skilled in treating the special problems that develop with the singing voice as we age.