Hello, @srm, I had radiation for Pyriform Sinus Cancer which is located by the vocal cords. Didn't do Chemo, because doctor said it would only increase cancer eradication by about 1%, yet could cause severe hearing loss! That was over almost two years ago. During the 2020 treatments, I developed Covid. That was a nightmare of coughing my guts out for months--even breaking ribs from force of the coughs. After that, the mucous in my lungs would not loosen so it was one year of antibiotics, ER visits, hospitalizations, on and on. The doctors could not figure out why I experienced shortness-of-breath attacks that left me feeling I could not get air in. In 2021, I had both Covid vaccinations Two weeks after the second vaccination, I came down with Covid again. Back in the hospital I went, whereupon I was informed after a scoping that my vocal cords were bilaterally paralyzed. I had many scopes done the entire year, and not one ENT told me they were frozen. So, I do not know to this day if Covid, the radiation, or a combination of both paralyzed my vocal cords. I was so short-of-breath all the time, I couldn't even bend down to pick a dandelion without feeling like drowning. The only thing that saved me was Over-The-Counter Primetene Mist Epinephrine 0.125 mg. Without this miracle spray, I would definitely be dead. None of he inhalers the doctors kept prescribing did any good. Although the Primetene greatly helped, I ended up getting a Tracheotomy just this last June. I can finally breathe, but that same mucous that would not come up before the Trach, is now constantly coming up. It is alot of maintenance. I am praying that my vocal cords will begin functioning properly once again, but the odds are not favorable in that regard. My advice to you is to get many opinions until you figure out why you are short-of-breath. Have your vocal cords checked out with a scoping/camera. I am sorry to say that many people suffer from this malady after having radiation to the throat area. Good luck to you. Stay close to God.