Rachel Ray: Vocal Cord Surgery
July 13, 2009 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
I have to admit, the first time I heard Rachel Ray on television, I thought to myself that she really needed to have her vocal cords checked. She sounded – to me – awful. I actually had a hard time watching her on TV. It bothered me that she could be doing further damage to her vocal cords by doing all these shows and everything else she does that requires her to use her voice.
I mentioned it, at one point, to my daughter who felt I was just being crotchety, but when I heard that she (RR) was having problems, I really wasn’t surprised. What did surprise me was how long she went before she did have the surgery.
Vocal cords are something we take for granted. We’re born, we make sounds, make our vocal cords vibrate and we’re on our way to communicating with others. But for many people, something happens to those cords and communicating through sound becomes more complex.
The cords aren’t really cords, but two bands of tough tissue found at the top of your trachea. When they vibrate and air passes, this results in sound. Normally, this works well. But some people, such as singers, use their vocal cords so much that they can become damaged. They can also be damaged through smoking or inhaling certain types of chemicals, as well as excessive shouting and even coughing.
The problems may range from polyps (growths of tissue) on the cords to paralysis.
If you find your voice becoming hoarse or raspy and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better, it’s best you get this checked by your doctor. You might be sent to an ear, nose and throat specialist, called an otolaryngologist, who may be able to diagnose and treat the problem.
Treatment usually begins with conservative management – resting your voice, for example. You could be sent for vocal coaching, helping you use your vocal cords in another manner. Or, surgery may be needed.
It seems that in Rachel Ray’s case, there was a benign cyst on her vocal cords, a cyst that is not cancerous. This was removed by surgery. According to People Magazine, she must now rest her voice for a week.
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Image: Newscom.com
I noticed her voice too. It seemed like something wasn’t right and that she was damaging her voice when she talked. I’m glad she finally had something done about it and that the tumor was benign. I’m surprised she waited so long though, especially since she depends on her voice so much for her career.
Well, she might not have had polyps at all but a rare form of vocal cord dysfunction called DYSPHONIA, a type of dystonia.
Spasmodic dysphonia (or laryngeal dystonia) is a voice disorder characterized by involuntary movements of one or more muscles of the larynx (vocal folds or voice box) during speech.
3 Types exist -
In adductor spasmodic dysphonia, sudden involuntary muscle movements or spasms cause the vocal folds (or vocal cords) to slam together and stiffen.[1] These spasms make it difficult for the vocal folds to vibrate and produce voice. Words are often cut off or difficult to start because of the muscle spasms. Therefore, speech may be choppy and sound similar to stuttering. The voice of an individual with adductor spasmodic dysphonia is commonly described as strained or strangled and full of effort. Surprisingly, the spasms are usually absent while laughing, singing, speaking at a high pitch or speaking while breathing in. Stress, however, often makes the muscle spasms more severe.
In abductor spasmodic dysphonia, sudden involuntary muscle movements or spasms cause the vocal folds to open. The vocal folds can not vibrate when they are open. The open position of the vocal folds also allows air to escape from the lungs during speech. As a result, the voices of these individuals often sound weak, quiet and breathy or whispery. As with adductor spasmodic dysphonia, the spasms are often absent during activities such as laughing or singing.
Mixed spasmodic dysphonia involves muscles that open the vocal folds as well as muscles that close the vocal folds and therefore has features of both adductor and abductor spasmodic dysphonia.
Botulinum toxin can often relieve symptoms for patients without forcing surgery on them.
If you have voice problems , don’t forget to have dysphonia ruled out in the diagnostic evaluation.