Vocal Cord Paralysis

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Vocal Cord Paralysis
The vocal cords are two elastic bands of muscle tissue located in the larynx (voice box) directly above the trachea (windpipe). The vocal cords produce voice when air held in the lungs is released and passed through the closed vocal cords, causing them to vibrate. When a person is not speaking, the vocal cords remain apart to allow the person to breathe. Vocal cord paralysis is a voice disorder that occurs when one or both of the vocal cords (or vocal folds) do not open or close properly.
Someone who has vocal cord paralysis often has difficulty swallowing and coughing because food or liquids slip into the trachea and lungs. This happens because the paralyzed cord or cords remain open, leaving the airway passage and the lungs unprotected.
People who have vocal cord paralysis experience
Abnormal voice changes
Changes in voice quality
Discomfort from vocal straining
For example, if only one vocal cord is damaged, the voice is usually hoarse or breathy. Changes in voice quality, such as loss of volume or pitch, may also be noticeable. Damage to both vocal cords, although rare, usually causes people to have difficulty breathing because the air passage to the trachea is blocked.
Vocal Cord Position - speaking
Vocal Cord Position - Not speaking
Source: National Institute of Health, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. www.nidcd.nih.gov
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