voice hoarseness

@marymaynacu Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect.

A sudden lose of a voice for no apparent reason is curious.

Connect members, mentors, and moderators are here to offer support but they are not medically trained. May I ask if you are planning to go see a provider/doctor?

Hey, sometimes prolonged coughing can irritate the 2 flaps in your throat that produce sound, called laryngitis. That could alter voice sounds or sometimes be the reason for this. However, to really know whats happening, more info is required. Like when you touch your throat, do you feel any swelling? When you swallow or try to talk, is it painful? When you cough and spit, is the discharge a weird color? In order to stop the problem from getting worse, I would recommend not over-entering yourself vocally and recommend you drink warm water. If you feel constant pain or experience anything unusual, definitely go see a physician. Hope this helps!

Hello @marymaynacu and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! As @erikas mentioned in her earlier post, we are not medically trained and can't provide diagnoses or treatment but we can share our experiences with you.

First of all, you need to see your doctor. You do not mention if you have other problems with your throat such as post-nasal drip or other speech difficulties. Do you have any other health problems that might be contributing to your weak voice? I'm thinking of heart, lung, or neurological problems like MS, Parkinson's, etc.

If this problem persists your doctor may refer you to an ENT specialist who can look at your vocal cords and determine what the problem might be.

thanks for all the comments and suggestions highly appreciated❤️😷😷but due tp pandemic I cant go to any dr.our hospitals here are full. I just Drink ginger with lemon and avoiding cold drinks.

My voice went hoarse all of a sudden about 1 1/2 months ago. I finally saw a dr. and I was diagnosed with vocal chord paralysis and dysphonia. I'm looking for some information or guidance on this. Can Mayo Clinic guide me to the correct area I should be talking to so I can ask some questions? I appreciate any help. Thanks (background:I had a surgery 13 years ago and the anesthesiologist damaged my vocals, but I was still able to talk...lost some of my voice but not all>..now its pretty much gone...hoarse or no voice)

@camaroyo, There is another discussion where you can meet other members who have similar symptoms and posted about dysphonia and vocal cord paralysis.

- Voice Loss: I've have had no voice for almost 3 Years: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/voice-loss-for-almost-3-years/

Hello @camaroyo,

As someone with a paralyzed vocal cord, I can certainly understand your concern about losing your voice. I understand how difficult it is to communicate with the raspiness and the weakness of voice. I encourage you to look at the link that @johnbishop suggested.

Have you looked into treatments for a paralyzed vocal cord? They are available. You will want to consult with an otolaryngologist who is an ENT but who is specifically trained in vocal cord treatment. I had surgery at Clevland Clinic about six years ago. A Silastic implant was put into the paralyzed vocal cord which helped it to close up with the healthy cord. This procedure provided me with a better voice volume. I also have less fatigue as I'm not using all my energy to make words come out.

Before this procedure, I had problems swallowing and also choking. Do you have swallowing or choking problems as well?

Hello @marymaynacu,

Now that the pandemic is slowing a bit, I was wondering if you have looked for a doctor to treat your voice problems? If you have not done so yet, I would encourage you to start the process of setting up an appointment. it takes a while to get in to see someone.

Have you considered seeing a specialist?

actually, sometimes when im drinking water i cant drink contineously I need to drink slowly or else I get choked in the midle of drinking.and up to now I havent gone to Dr.due to pandemic.as much as I would love to visit a dr. but I cant😷🙁maybe after the pandemic is over...besides were on a lockdown scenario thats oneof the biggest problem. for now I have to wait for the pandemic to be over in order for me to get into a specialist.afraid to get into a hospital for check up.But I will keep u posted when I have a chance to get in a dr. thanks from all who takes time to help appreciate it a lot🙏🏻👍❤️😷God Bless and Keep Safe!!😷😷

@hopeful33250 thanks for your information. I recently saw an ENT and am scheduled for a CT scan in a few days. Just starting this process. I do choke and trying hard to be careful of that. So worried I won’t be able to get help. I do lose voice, when/if I have one very fast and get breathy. I don’t feel I have swallowing problems but, I have noticed that my throat will spasm sometimes...like a tight knot and hurts a little. Guessing it may be from this paralysis. Researching for a specialist. Family in Ma. and Mass General in Boston is 6th in the nation for these problems...so considering possibly.... plus have another issue to get fixed so sort of overwhelmed at the moment...again thx for responding...