Spasmodic Dysphonia: Is it Down to Nature or Nurture?

Over the years of treating vocal and voice disorders, our surgeons here at the Ear, Nose & Throat Surgery in Beverly Hills have noticed a tendency for sufferers to be anxious, with low self esteem and a tendency to shy away from social interaction. Could it be that these personality traits bring on dysphonia, or are they a side effect of this condition?

Anxiety and depression are often an unfortunate fact of life for dysphonia patients, and as diagnosticians we must always advise sufferers to look out for the warning signs of these conditions. They are often most treatable in the early stages, although getting to a doctor is markedly more difficult for those who are depressed or anxious, perhaps because of agoraphobia, or a lack of personal organization.

As many as 50,000 Americans suffer from dysphonia at any one time, with a high proportion of those having spasmodic dysphonia. This term is actually an umbrella term for the three different types of spasmodic dysphonia:

1. Abductor spasmodic dysphonia

2. Adductor spasmodic dysphonia

3. Mixed (abductor and adductor) spasmodic dysphonia

Each type of spasmodic dysphonia is characterized by random spasms of the larynx, which causes the voice to change at unwanted intervals during speech or singing and without the sufferer having control over it.

Of course sometimes we can identify the exact cause of spasmodic dysphonia; for example Parkinson’s disease (although it is never as simple to treat it). When it is a secondary symptom of a primary condition then there is little room for speculation as to why a person is experiencing what they’re experiencing. However, when spasmodic dysphonia occurs on its own and with no identifiable cause, we should ask ourselves why it has occurred, and whether the problem is psychological rather than physiological. Could spasmodic dysphonia be a result of psychological trauma, repressed memory or severe stress?

What we’d like to get from this blog post is your take on spasmodic dysphonia. Whether you suffer, or you know someone who suffers, do you think there is a link between personality type and the condition? Perhaps you believe a certain event in your life has contributed to your experience. Please leave us your opinions and comments below…

The Treatment of Oral Conditions at The Center for Advanced Head and Neck Surgery, Beverly Hills

Welcome to the Center for Advanced Head & Neck Surgery blog. We hope you’ve found us easily, and if so you have also added our address to your RSS feed. Look for the symbol in your address bar and click through to have our blog posts sent to your reader.

For our first blog we’re looking at the treatment of oral conditions, what those conditions might be and how we approach them here in California. Dr Babak Larian is our primary physician, surgeon and otolaryngologist, although there are other physicians, surgeons, specialists and nursing staff here.

The majority of patients that come through our doors are visiting with an oral complaint, or one regarding the temporal bone. So, as you can imagine, this part of the surgery is incredibly important. On our home page you may have seen a chart of all of our areas of specialty at the Center for advanced head and neck surgery. Those that are related to oral conditions are:

- Salivary Glands

- Salivary Tumors

- Tongue

- Base of Tongue

- Buccal (cheek)

- Alveolus (gum)

- Tonsil

- Floor of Mouth

- Submandibular Gland

- Hard Palate

- Soft Palate

- Salivary Gland Stones

- Lip

- Parapharyngeal Space Tumors

- Oral Cavity (mouth) Cancer

- Temporal Bone

A visit to the Center for Advanced Head & Neck Surgery will begin with a consultation and assessment. Then, if necessary, diagnostic measures will be taken to identify the actual problem. From there treatment can begin, and there are hundreds of different treatments available depending on the condition, the severity of the condition and certain individual factors such as pre-existing health conditions and age. Some individuals may require a simple endoscopic procedure carried out, whereas others will require a course of antibiotics and others may need invasive surgery.

If you or someone that you know is suffering from an oral complaint, and you or they would like to know more about how we treat that condition, the best option is to book a consultation. By calling us for an appointment here in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, we can organize a one-on-one consult with one of our qualified physicians. This can just be a simple chat and a chance for you to ask any questions you may have about a surgeon’s qualifications, your finances, the procedure involved etc. and we consider it an important part of your treatment.