What is psychogenic dysphonia?
Psychogenic dysphonia is a type of dysphonia or voice disorder, which tends to affect people between the ages of 20 and 30. It is a rare pathology, which tends to have a higher incidence in women. In this pathology there is no anatomical or neurological lesion, but it is a psychological process that leads to dysphonia.
There are different types of psychogenic dysphonia, among which we find:
- Hysterical dysphonia: it has its origin in the sudden appearance of a type of neurosis and sudden changes in the person’s life.
- Obsessive dysphonia: it is a dysphonia that appears due to an obsessive neurosis.
- Vocal traction: it is the total loss of the voice, which occurs spontaneously due to a situation of fear.
- Phonophobia: it is the fear of speaking in general.
- Neuroasthenic dysphonia: it is the dysphonia that affects hypochondriac people who worry about voice problems.
- Spastic dysphonia: it has its origin in abrupt and uncontrolled movements in the larynx when trying to speak.
Prognosis of the disease
When the patient undergoes psychological or psychiatric treatment, it is possible to treat this pathology, so it has a good prognosis.
Symptoms of psychogenic dysphonia
Among the most prominent symptoms of psychogenic dysphonia are the following:
- Hoarseness
- Sudden loss of voice
- Sudden onset dysphonia
- Total loss of voice
- Severe slurred speech
- Tense body posture
- Cervical hyperlordosis: increased curvature of the cervical vertebrae
- Depression of the sternoclavicular area
Medical tests for psychogenic dysphonia
Medical tests to diagnose psychogenic dysphonia through an anamnesis or the study of the patient’s medical history. This study will be completed by a series of diagnostic tests, such as indirect laryngoscopy, direct laryngoscopy or video-stroboscopy.
What are the causes of psychogenic dysphonia?
Psychogenic dysphonia is the result of a psychological process, which may be the consequence of a very strong emotion, and may occur as a defense mechanism against emotional states that are difficult to express.
Among the causes of psychogenic dysphonia are the following:
- Fear of damaging the vocal organ.
- Fear of losing the voice
- Excessive concern for the care of the voice.
Can it be prevented?
The prevention of this type of dysphonia, which is related to a psychological disorder, is based on assessing the mental and emotional stability of the person, as well as the care of the vocal organ.
Treatments for psychogenic dysphonia
The treatment for psychogenic dysphonia consists of rehabilitating the voice, with a specialist in Otolaryngology, but it is also important to see a psychologist and a speech therapist to find out the origin of the dysphonia and determine the starting point.
In this way, the treatment is carried out by combining voice exercises and additional psychotherapy.
Which specialist treats it?
The expert physician in charge of the treatment of psychogenic dysphonia is the speech therapy specialist.