What causes vocal cord edema?

Vocal cord edema is a type of edema in the shallow and pointed layer of the vocal cord propria. When this type of edema occurs, patients often have difficulty speaking and their voices become hoarse. There are many causes of vocal cord edema, some of which are related to occupation. For example, teachers, tour guides, etc. often talk a lot, and if their voices are not used properly, it will cause vocal cord edema. It is also related to bad living habits, among which smoking is an important cause of edema.

What is vocal cord edema?

Vocal cord edema is edema that occurs in the superficial spaces of the vocal cord lamina propria, manifesting as bulging and deformation of the vocal cord surface and free edge. Chronic vocal cord edema generally occurs in adults. Smoking is an important cause of chronic vocal cord edema. Almost all patients with interstitial edema have a history of long-term heavy smoking.

The cause of chronic vocal cord edema is currently unclear. The only recognized factor is that it is related to the damage of smoking to the vocal cord mucosa. It can also be caused by other throat diseases.

The dangers of vocal cord edema

1. Vocal cord edema is very harmful. It can cause incomplete closure of the vocal cords during vocalization, leading to hoarseness, and the increased weight of the vocal cords can cause pronunciation fatigue.

2. In life, some people will experience hoarseness and congestion after using their throats slightly. This is because when using their throats, they do not fully mobilize other resonance cavities, but only stimulate the vocal cords.

3. In severe cases, patients may suffer from severe hoarseness or aphonia, and be unable to communicate verbally, which is extremely painful and affects their work, study and life.

4. If the disease is not treated properly, misdiagnosed or the treatment effect is poor, it is easy to develop into chronic laryngitis, pharyngitis, vocal cord polyps, etc. The lingering condition increases the difficulty of treatment.

What are the folk remedies for vocal cord edema?

1. Surgery is usually used to treat vocal cord edema. In fact, the treatment method for edema should be selected according to different groups of people. For example, the elderly and weak groups are more suitable for the treatment of vocal cord edema by fiber laryngoscopy, which can be combined with traditional surgery. It is a very effective method for patients with short necks, the elderly and the weak.

2. With the development of medical technology, the new generation of fiber laryngoscope has a small diameter, and the image presented can be enlarged and reduced, with a clear field of view and the ability to bend and change direction at will, which is of great help to doctors' observations. It can also detect hidden micro-lesions and treat lesions below the edge of the vocal cords. The postoperative reaction is mild, the operation can be completed in one time, and the damage caused is also quite small, with satisfactory results.

3. Indirect laryngoscopes often present images with obvious aberrations. The patient's raised tongue affects the image quality, and the patient needs to open his mouth and stick out his tongue, making the operation difficult to perform and often unsuccessful. The duration should not be too long, and the scope of application is relatively small. It is not suitable for children, patients with difficulty opening their mouths, and patients with poor tolerance. Performing the operation under general anesthesia is not only dangerous, but also causes great pain to the patient, and the required medical expenses are a heavy financial burden. In addition, there are often sequelae after the operation, such as loose teeth and other complications.

In fact, vocal cord edema is a relatively easy-to-treat disease, but because the vocal cord is a relatively sensitive organ, surgical treatment of the vocal cord is often quite difficult. The above are various folk remedies and surgical treatments for vocal cord edema. I hope they can help you choose the vocal cord medical surgery that is suitable for you.