Patients often dismiss a chronic sore throat or recurring hoarseness as allergies or the flu. However, a chronic hoarse voice could be indicative of an underlying problem with the vocal folds (vocal cords). Vocal nodules are callous-like growths, usually appearing on the edges of the vocal folds and cause a hoarse vocal quality. Initially, these…
Adults who have experienced a stroke (referred to as a CVA-cerebrovascular accident) or head injury often present with deficits in speech intelligibility, language, cognitive (thinking) ability, and/or swallow function. After a stroke or head injury, the brain will slowly begin to heal from its injury. Many of the above-mentioned deficits may resolve completely or partially…
Adults can acquire swallowing problems (also called Dysphagia) for a variety of reasons including stroke, head injury, head or neck cancer, or degenerative disease processes. The severity of Dysphagia ranges from mild difficulties with particular textures of foods (such as meats or thin liquids) to severe/profound deficits that may require the patient to be fed…