Misleading FoxNews Report: Laryngitis for 30 Years

On Dec 23, 2011, Fox News reported on a woman who supposedly had laryngitis for 30 years.

The story reported that the woman had a viral URI in 1982 which resulted in laryngitis and a paralyzed vocal cord.

What people should be aware of is that a paralyzed vocal cord is NOT laryngitis. Laryngitis is an infection of the larynx or voicebox. Stating that a paralyzed vocal cord is akin to laryngitis is like claiming a person who has a paralyzed arm/leg from a stroke has an arm/leg infection.

Now it is true that a viral laryngitis can cause a paralyzed vocal cord, but they should not be considered synonymous.

Patients with a paralyzed vocal cord have a very breathy sounding weak voice and a weak cough. They may also suffer from aspiration where liquids/foods go down the wrong way more easily than normal.

Typically, the first way to treat a paralyzed vocal cord is voice therapy. If voice therapy does not make much improvement, surgical intervention can be considered.

Typically, a vocal cord injection is performed if the paralysis onset was within one year. After one year, an implant can be placed as the Fox News report mentioned.

Read more about paralyzed vocal cords as well as watch a video here.

Source:
Woman Gets Voice Back After Suffering From Laryngitis for 30 Years. FoxNews 12/23/11