Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Causes Raspy Voice?
Question: Hello I am 20 years old and I've always been able to sing up until the last 2-3 months. I sing one song and my voice is gone. And my normal talking voice is super raspy and it's hard for me to speak up and my voice cuts out when I talk sometimes. I've been a smoker for 3 years can this be the cause? I also have swelling in the front of my neck on the sides of my esophagus and mucous in the back of my throat and I have a hard time breathing when I do any kind of activities where I have to work. Please help me find out what this is. I would really love to have my voice back
Brief Answer:
voice rest andspeech therapy
Detailed Answer:
Hello madam and thanks for using healthcaremagic,
Singing puts a lot of strain on the vocal cords. If your voice is breaking after singing then clearly your cords are not withstanding the strain .
You have to give your voice some rest to let it recover.
Do not sing for 4 weeks, do not talk loudly and do not whisper.
Drink lots of water , 4 litres per day.
Avoid using the airconditioner and the fan. Air conditioning is very bad for the cords.
Do not eat anything cold.
Do steam inhalation for 10 minutes 2 times daily.
You should get yourself examined by an ENT doctor. He/she will do a test called indirect laymgoscopy or flexible laryngoscopy to visualise your cords directly. Any pathology in the cords can be picked up. You may also need to undergo some speech therapy.
If you want your voice to come back then you most definitely have to stop smoking immediately. Cigarette smoke causes lot of damage to the cords.
The swellings in your neck can be thyroid swellings. Please get a doctor to confirm.
Regards,
Dr Rajkishori Godhi
voice rest andspeech therapy
Detailed Answer:
Hello madam and thanks for using healthcaremagic,
Singing puts a lot of strain on the vocal cords. If your voice is breaking after singing then clearly your cords are not withstanding the strain .
You have to give your voice some rest to let it recover.
Do not sing for 4 weeks, do not talk loudly and do not whisper.
Drink lots of water , 4 litres per day.
Avoid using the airconditioner and the fan. Air conditioning is very bad for the cords.
Do not eat anything cold.
Do steam inhalation for 10 minutes 2 times daily.
You should get yourself examined by an ENT doctor. He/she will do a test called indirect laymgoscopy or flexible laryngoscopy to visualise your cords directly. Any pathology in the cords can be picked up. You may also need to undergo some speech therapy.
If you want your voice to come back then you most definitely have to stop smoking immediately. Cigarette smoke causes lot of damage to the cords.
The swellings in your neck can be thyroid swellings. Please get a doctor to confirm.
Regards,
Dr Rajkishori Godhi
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
