Conditions We Treat
- Enlarged Tonsils
- Hoarseness
- Swallowing Disorders
- Vocal Cord Paralysis
- Vocal Cord Lesions
- Muscle Tension Dysphonia
- Laryngopharyngeal Reflux
- Sore Throat
- Strep Throat
- Inflamed Tonsils and Adenoids
- Laryngitis
- Pharyngitis
- Epiglottitis
Treatments & Procedures
- Tonsillectomy
- Adenoidectomy
- Laryngeal Cyst Removal
- Vocal Cord Injection for Hoarseness
- Distal Chip Flexible Laryngoscopy with Stroboscopy for Full Vocal Cord Evaluation
Why Choose Us?
- Board-certified ENT & sinus specialists
- State-of-the-art endoscopic technology
- In-office minimally invasive options like Balloon Sinuplasty
- Comprehensive care plans: diagnosis, surgery, and long-term management
- Proven results: 85% success rate with sinus surgery
Voice Box (Larynx)
We use our voice every day in communication. As children we are taught language, but never how to use our voice box (larynx); we just talk. Sometimes vocal misuse, infections, benign growths, or even cancer of the larynx can cause a significant change in someone’s voice. Being hoarse can significantly affect our communication with others and negatively impact our quality of life. Because of this, it is important for anyone with hoarseness for more than 3 weeks be evaluated by an ENT specialist.
To understand how the voice box works, let’s first take a look at how our body actually produces the sounds that will become our talking and singing.
There are three main components to speech.
The power source
Your lungs
The vibrator
Your voice box (larynx)
The resonator
Your throat, mouth, nose and sinuses
How They Work Together
When we inhale, our diaphragm lowers and our lungs inflate. On exhalation, the air is forced through our windpipe (trachea) and exits through our voice box (larynx). The more forceful the exhale is, the stronger the airflow and the louder the sound. Good breath support is a vital part of a strong voice.
Next, the column of air passes through our vocal cords. Our vocal cords open when we breathe and close when we speak, sing or eat. These cords are two soft folds that vibrate as the air passes through them. The vocal cords can vibrate from 100-1000 times per second! The higher the pitch the faster the vibration.
Finally, the air and sound produced from the vocal cords exit through our resonators. The shape of our throat, mouth, nose, and sinuses can affect the quality of the sounds. The resonators shape the sound into our own personal speaking and singing voices.
How The CSC Identifies and Treats Abnormalities in the Throat
The vocal cords move so quickly that the human eye is unable to fully visualize the movement (mucosal wave) of the vocal cords, not unlike trying to see the wings of a hummingbird! The Charleston Sinus Center has the most up-to-date diagnostic equipment in diagnosing voice box abnormalities. Fiberoptic laryngoscopy and
Videolaryngoscopy with stroboscopy are specialized, state-of-the-art procedures used for evaluation of voice and vocal cord abnormalities. These are in-office procedure performed under topical anesthesia. For more common disorders of the larynx, Fiberoptic laryngoscopy provides a high-quality view of the larynx to provide the diagnosis.
For more nuanced voice disorders, a synchronized, flashing light (strobe) is passed through a flexible camera that is placed through the nose. The flashes of light from the stroboscope are synchronized to the vocal fold vibration at a slightly slower speed. This allows your physician to observe vocal fold vibration during sound production in what appears to be slow motion. Slowing down the vibration of the vocal cords allows your physician to see any abnormalities of the structure of function of your voice box.