Differentiating Spasmodic Dysphonia from Related Voice Conditions
Often times, spasmodic dysphonia can mimic or present similarly to other disorders, in addition to possibly co-occurring with other disorders, like vocal tremor or muscle tension dysphonia (MTD). Individuals may try to compensate for spasmodic dysphonia symptoms, which may result in increased strain/muscle tension and result in secondary MTD. Symptoms of MTD may even mimic those of SD. Additionally, symptoms of spasmodic dysphonia vary highly both within and between individuals. All of these factors make it challenging to accurately diagnose spasmodic dysphonia and to differentially diagnose these three voice disorders. Below are some differences between spasmodic dysphonia, MTD, and tremor.
Voice therapy can help to relieve symptoms of compensatory MTD and can make speaking with vocal tremor or spasmodic dysphonia easier.
Botox can be helpful for many. Check out this post to learn more about Botox for spasmodic dysphonia or vocal tremor.
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