Symptoms
The main symptom of “swollen vocal cords” is the altered voice. It can be rough, scratchy, thin or squeaky. The affected persons usually notice themselves that their voice pitch has changed or that it is more difficult for them to hold a pitch or volume.
This can be explained by the altered ability of the vocal chords to vibrate during exhalation. If the vocal muscles can only insufficiently change the degree of tension of the vocal cords during speaking, the tone variety can no longer be guaranteed. The stronger thereby a change of the voice is, the more strongly the vocal folds are affected by the inflammatory process.
The massive swelling manifests itself in a complete hoarseness. In addition, some feel compelled to clear their throat or have to cough more frequently. If it is a viral infection, symptoms of a typical cold can be observed.
Those affected then complain additionally about obstructed nasal breathing, increased sneezing and nasal discharge. Fever and aching limbs can also occur. Swollen lymph nodes in the neck and head area are typical as an accompanying reaction to the inflammation.Hoarseness is a symptom of massively “swollen vocal cords“.
The swelling can be explained by an enormous accumulation of fluid in the space between the epithelium above the vocal cords and the vocal muscle. The swelling constricts the lumen of the airway and prevents the vocal folds from opening and closing. If the swelling prevents the vocal folds from becoming functionally tense for speech production, air simply flows past the vocal folds and no sound can be produced.
The result is hoarseness. However, hoarseness should not be equated with whispering. Whispering is a conscious change of the voice pitch, whereas hoarseness cannot be changed arbitrarily by the person affected.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of “swollen vocal cords” is best made by the ear, nose and throat physician using indirect laryngoscopy. To do this, the examiner is asked to stick out his tongue when the mouth is open so that the doctor can hold a mirror in the back of the mouth. By alternately breathing and saying “hiii”, the examiner can then assess both the visual appearance of the vocal chords and their ability to vibrate.
The more swollen the vocal folds are, the less the vocal chords can be tensed and deflected by the muscles. And the more pronounced the swelling of the surrounding mucous membrane of the larynx is, the narrower the opening for the airflow of a breath. In addition, voice production can be tested by repeating words and the lymph nodes in the neck and head area can be examined for swelling.
