Have you ever noticed that as your body has changed through the years, so has the sound of your voice? Perhaps others frequently ask you to speak up because your voice is too quiet, or your soprano voice is suddenly sounding more like an alto. Whatever the reason for your voice changes, hoarseness in the voice can often be the very first sign that your vocal folds require a little more TLC than just some honey and tea.
The UMMC Voice and Swallowing Center sees over 50 patients a week with numerous voice, swallowing, and airway complaints. This number is not surprising when many studies show that after the age of 60, almost half of all adults have experienced some degree of voice, swallowing, or airway problems.
Many older adults tend to become more concerned with chronic vocal hoarseness and think it could be a sign of throat cancer. Indeed, hoarseness is sometimes the initial symptom that leads to a diagnosis of throat cancer for people with have a history of smoking and drinking. However, most often it is simply a factor of aging which is called Presbylaryngis or “aging” of the throat.