Hey, I’m Georg and 3 years ago I injured my voice while singing. For about 2 years I haven’t been able to talk without pain and swelling feeling at all so I’ve not talked at all. I’ve consulted with my doctors and they’ve told me to exercise speaking regularly even if there’s pain but I want to spread my story to get second opinions. I used to sing a lot for several years before my injury. Some days even about 3 hours a day. Went to singing school sometimes, learn a bit of the (CVT vocal technique) One evening, I started to sing and my voice was not that great that day and I also drank a milk product before what causes my throat to produce a lot of mucus and thick feeling. I tried to sing one high note, but I couldn't reach it, so I squeezed my neck and vocal chords to get that high note and that’s how I injured my voice. From that day on my vocal injury has gone worse to the point that for 2 years now, I haven’t been speaking at all. Just a couple of words in one year. The reason for it is now when I speak, my vocal chords and thyroid area get “swollen” and painful(nerve pinching pain). I put swollen in brackets, because I’ve been to a laryngoscope and the camera didn’t detect any swelling in my vocal chords when they looked at it. And also they didn’t find anything other than couple of granulomas(not on the vocal chords) which could have been caused by some food intolerance. The vocal chords were just weak and atrophied.
Going back to 2021 when I first injured my voice. The symptoms then were similar, there was the swelling feeling, and nerve pain. (it’s really weird to me that there was no swelling detected on camera, because when I get the swelling feeling, my whole throat feels so swollen. I even got a thyroid ultrasound, but nothing was detected there) So back then, basically I still could use my voice after the injury. So I had to not speak for a couple of weeks and then the swelling feeling went away. And I could practice again and talk. But as time went on. The swelling came back and back. I gave it more and more rest, to make the swelling go away.(one doctor back then even said that don’t stop speaking, but for me it didn’t make sense cause my throat felt so swollen and nerve pinching pain was quite bad). So I gave it more and more rest and as the time went on, about a year from the injury, I could only speak about 20 minutes a day. And it was difficult to avoid the swelling feeling and pain away, so I gave it more and more rest, until it became so bad that last year I couldn’t even laugh and this swelling feeling came back. It has since got minimally better now, but still I can only laugh about 5 times a day or less. My question is, if I start to practice again and ignore the swelling feeling in my throat and the nerve pain, would it injure me even more. That’s what I’m worried about. If someone told me that “100%, you will not injure your voice more when practicing through the pain”, then I would start. The last doctor said exactly that, but I needed to get a second opinion somewhere else, because I’m scared to injure my vocal chords even worse, to the point that I could lose my vocal chords forever. Thank you for reading it the whole way through and I would love to hear your opinion! Thank you in advance! :)
Same here - 6 + years All think it’s in my head ! Constantly same issue now I listen to RUclips videos n do those exercises n now came across ur video n thankful for all Your explanation . Thank you
Hi, go to my contact page on my website. speechandvoicetherapycenter.com/contact/ and fill out the form and give us your email address and then we can contact you privately through email. Thanks.
Hi Sharon, what's the best way to go about getting a diagnosis for VCD? I have experienced what I describe as 'air hunger' for almost a decade now, ranging from mild to severe. I am yawning all day to battle the urge. I have been cleared of any cardio or lung issues, oxygen levels are normal, and currently on PPIs which have made no difference. I am situated in the UK if that's relevant. Just looking for more guidance as no one seems to know what's at the root of this, but I've not heard about VCD from any of my doctors. Thanks.
Get established at an asthma and allergy clinic. They will schedule you for testing probably of asthma and then asking you questions about your symptoms and history. At least that’s how mine went
Hey, I’m Georg and 3 years ago I injured my voice while singing. For about 2 years I haven’t been able to talk without pain and swelling feeling at all so I’ve not talked at all. I’ve consulted with my doctors and they’ve told me to exercise speaking regularly even if there’s pain but I want to spread my story to get second opinions.
I used to sing a lot for several years before my injury. Some days even about 3 hours a day. Went to singing school sometimes, learn a bit of the (CVT vocal technique)
One evening, I started to sing and my voice was not that great that day and I also drank a milk product before what causes my throat to produce a lot of mucus and thick feeling.
I tried to sing one high note, but I couldn't reach it, so I squeezed my neck and vocal chords to get that high note and that’s how I injured my voice.
From that day on my vocal injury has gone worse to the point that for 2 years now, I haven’t been speaking at all. Just a couple of words in one year.
The reason for it is now when I speak, my vocal chords and thyroid area get “swollen” and painful(nerve pinching pain).
I put swollen in brackets, because I’ve been to a laryngoscope and the camera didn’t detect any swelling in my vocal chords when they looked at it. And also they didn’t find anything other than couple of granulomas(not on the vocal chords) which could have been caused by some food intolerance.
The vocal chords were just weak and atrophied.
Going back to 2021 when I first injured my voice.
The symptoms then were similar, there was the swelling feeling, and nerve pain.
(it’s really weird to me that there was no swelling detected on camera, because when I get the swelling feeling, my whole throat feels so swollen. I even got a thyroid ultrasound, but nothing was detected there)
So back then, basically I still could use my voice after the injury. So I had to not speak for a couple of weeks and then the swelling feeling went away.
And I could practice again and talk.
But as time went on. The swelling came back and back. I gave it more and more rest, to make the swelling go away.(one doctor back then even said that don’t stop speaking, but for me it didn’t make sense cause my throat felt so swollen and nerve pinching pain was quite bad).
So I gave it more and more rest and as the time went on, about a year from the injury, I could only speak about 20 minutes a day.
And it was difficult to avoid the swelling feeling and pain away, so I gave it more and more rest, until it became so bad that last year I couldn’t even laugh and this swelling feeling came back.
It has since got minimally better now, but still I can only laugh about 5 times a day or less.
My question is, if I start to practice again and ignore the swelling feeling in my throat and the nerve pain, would it injure me even more.
That’s what I’m worried about.
If someone told me that “100%, you will not injure your voice more when practicing through the pain”, then I would start.
The last doctor said exactly that, but I needed to get a second opinion somewhere else, because I’m scared to injure my vocal chords even worse, to the point that I could lose my vocal chords forever.
Thank you for reading it the whole way through and I would love to hear your opinion! Thank you in advance! :)
Same here - 6 + years
All think it’s in my head ! Constantly same issue now I listen to RUclips videos n do those exercises n now came across ur video n thankful for all
Your explanation . Thank you
Yes!!! It’s called fear of suffocation
Hello , is so amazing to uave found you, where can I contact you or uav a consultation?
Hi, go to my contact page on my website. speechandvoicetherapycenter.com/contact/ and fill out the form and give us your email address and then we can contact you privately through email. Thanks.
Do you do online breath therapy ?
Hi Sharon, what's the best way to go about getting a diagnosis for VCD? I have experienced what I describe as 'air hunger' for almost a decade now, ranging from mild to severe. I am yawning all day to battle the urge. I have been cleared of any cardio or lung issues, oxygen levels are normal, and currently on PPIs which have made no difference. I am situated in the UK if that's relevant. Just looking for more guidance as no one seems to know what's at the root of this, but I've not heard about VCD from any of my doctors. Thanks.
Get established at an asthma and allergy clinic. They will schedule you for testing probably of asthma and then asking you questions about your symptoms and history. At least that’s how mine went