Specializing in Diagnosis
Deciding that something is wrong with the voice is easy. All a person needs to do is listen to the speaker, but discovering the underlying cause of the vocal problem is more difficult.
The Voice Clinic at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center is dedicated to using innovative methods and tools for identifying the actual cause of a vocal disorder. Using state of the art diagnostic techniques of acoustic analysis and videostroboscopy, the staff at The Voice Clinic is able to better determine the causes of vocal disorders that previously could not be diagnosed.
Acoustic analysis measures sound wave qualities of the voice, looking for characteristic disruptions in the flow and patterns of a person's speech. This analysis provides a powerful way to look at success of treatment by allowing pre- and post- treatment comparisons.
Videostroboscopy enables the staff at the Voice Clinic to actually see how the vocal folds (cords) open and close during speech. Using videostroboscopy the staff can identify problems, such as incomplete closure of the vocal folds or paralysis of one of the vocal folds. Once the problem is precisely known, then effective treatment strategies are designed.
Videostroboscopy is a procedure used to examine and record vocal fold movement. A light source is periodically flashed with the frequency of the patient's voice to create what appears to be a standstill or slow motion picture of vocal fold vibration. Videostroboscopy permits visualization of the vibratory pattern of the vocal folds normally not visible to the human eye because they vibrate so rapidly.
This diagnostic technique can help determine the cause and severity of a voice problem that results in the symptoms of hoarseness, vocal fatigue, breathiness, reduced vocal range, loss of voice, vocal tremor, pitch breaks, and strain or struggle voice. The procedure is valuable because it allows the Voice Clinic staff to better design treatment for each individual patient.
The Voice Clinic at Mercy Medical Center-Sioux City conducts videostroboscopy using a team approach with a board certified otolaryngologist (ear, nose, throat doctor) and a speech therapist.
