The Penn Center for Voice, Speech and Swallowing provides comprehensive diagnostic and treatment options for individuals with voice and speech disorders. Here, you will benefit from the care of respected otolaryngologists, speech language pathologists and dedicated support staff. If your voice and speech disorder is related to air flow challenges, your otolaryngologist will also collaborate with Penn Medicine colleagues in pulmonary medicine and other specialty areas to provide the appropriate level of care. These specialists work together to develop an individualized care plan using the latest non-surgical and surgical treatment approaches available.
Causes of Voice and Speech Disorders
Speech is caused by the generation of air pressure from the lungs through the windpipe, which vibrates the vocal cords and produces sound. Voice and speech disorders occur when either air flow (generation) or vocal cord vibration (resonation) challenges are present, making it difficult for someone to create or form the sounds needed to communicate through speaking or singing.
You may develop a voice or speech disorder if one of the following conditions causes generation or resonation challenges:
Symptoms of Voice and Speech Disorders
A person with a voice or speech disorder nearly always experiences one of the following symptoms:
- Chronic hoarseness for more than two weeks (such as a raspy or breathy voice, a voice quiver, or a strained or choppy voice)
- Pain or a lump in the throat when speaking
- Changes in pitch
- Odd sounding speech