Dr. Chang Quoted in Cosmopolitan Article

Cosmo Article Dec 2015 Dr. Chang was quoted in a Cosmopolitan article dated Dec 26, 2015 called " 4 Hangover Hacks You Need to Feel Like a Human Again. " Dr. Chang was specifically quoted in a section of the article called "The Throat Hangover" mainly regarding what to do with a hoarse voice after shouting over loud music all night. Read the article here !

1/04/2016 0

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Sam Smith Cancels Australian Tour Due To Vocal Cord Hemorrhage

Image by marcen27 of Wikipedia Media reported April 28, 2015 that Sam Smith suffered from vocal cord hemorrhage forcing him to cancel his Australian tour on doctor's orders due to potential risk of permanently damaging his voice. This is the same reason that Adele had to cancel her tour back in October 2011. He joins a number of other singers over the past few years who had to cancel their tours due to such vocal cord problems including: • Nathan Sykes - April 2013 • Nicki Mana…

4/29/2015 0

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How Common is Hoarseness?

At some point, we all have suffered from a hoarse voice whether from illness or from yelling. However, it was unclear exactly how common this malady is until now... and apparently, the answer is "very common"... According to a study looking to answer this question, hoarseness affected 17.9 million adults in 2012.   The average age was 49 years old and 63% were women. Overall, 10% saw a health care professional for their hoarseness and 40% were given a diagnosis. Infectious la…

5/04/2014 0

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How Long Do Swallowing and Voice Problems Last After C-Spine Surgery ACDF?

I often see patients for swallowing and/or voice difficulties after cervical spine surgery (ACDF) . In the vast majority of cases, reassurance that such "side effects" are not uncommon is the only thing I need to provide after a complete exam. After all, both the voice box and swallowing tube are manipulated and pushed over to one side in order to perform cervical spine surgery from an anterior approach. Check out the video below that illustrates how this happens. Beyond reas…

12/29/2013 1

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Vocal Cord Tear Silences R&B Singer Frank Ocean

Image by Fred von Lohmann from Wikipedia On July 25, 2013, R&B singer Frank Ocean was forced to cancel his entire Australian concert tour due to a small vocal cord tear. After singing his opening night with a sore throat during which he reportedly sounded "noticeably off-key," he seeked medical attention and was informed of the unfortunate condition of his vocal cord. Listening to his voice on this YouTube video recorded during this fateful concert, his voice actually doe…

7/27/2013 0

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Treatment for Vocal Tremor

Vocal tremor is characterized by a rhythmic undulating vocal quality whenever talking, much akin to vibrato that can not be turned off. In the past, it was felt that use of botulinum toxin type A ( botox ) to treat vocal tremor was not possible nor realistic given the multiple muscle groups involved. This is in contrast to dystonias of the voice (i.e., spasmodic dysphonia ) where only one muscle group is involved and is readily and easily treated with botox injections to the affected vocal co…

7/13/2013 0

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Google CEO Larry Page Suffers from Bilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis

Image by Marcin Mycielski from Wikipedia Over the past year, there has been concern over the health of Google CEO Larry Page after missing a few important meetings and having a hoarse voice that is unusually soft and prolonged. Apparently, it's because he suffers from bilateral vocal cord paralysis . [ link ] He initially suffered from a unilateral vocal cord paralysis at the age of 14 years old. At that time, his left vocal cord became paralyzed after a viral URI . Beyond a viral…

5/14/2013 0

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Pop Singer Nathan Sykes Undergoes Vocal Cord Surgery

Nathan Sykes, singer for the boy band The Wanted , underwent vocal cord surgery on April 18, 2013 for a "hemorrhaged nodule" according to media reports . Rather than a nodule, I am suspecting he actually suffered from a hemorrhagic polyp which makes more medical sense. And along with surgery ... he is now on voice rest for an indefinite period of time. This condition is the same reason Adele underwent vocal cord surgery in 2011 which mandated a several month period of voice r…

4/29/2013 0

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Arena Stage 'My Fair Lady' Laid Low by the Flu with Performance Cancellations

It has been an early and bad start to the flu season in the DC metro area. It is just the beginning of the traditional 3 month flu season and flu numbers have already exceeded last year's . Although professional singers may feel they should have a special exemption from this debilitating illness which also adversely affects the voice, it is not to be... The flu has literally crippled performances of "My Fair Lady" at the Arena Stage this season with two show cancellations a…

1/07/2013 1

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Singer Nicki Minaj with Strained Vocal Cords

Media has reported that pop star Nicki Minaj had to cancel upcoming concerts in England due to injured vocal cords. She apparently saw a doctor who diagnosed "strained vocal cords" after an x-ray and recommended voice rest for a few days. The singer apparently ignored this advice and sang in New York City on Aug 18 causing her voice to substantially worsen resulting in her decision to cancel her concerts this weekend. Details of her vocal cord condition are sparse. However, …

8/19/2012 0

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Singer Florence Welch Cancels Concerts Due to Vocal Injury

CBS news reported that Florence Welch, the lead singer for British band Florence + The Time Machine, had to cancel two upcoming concerts due to a vocal injury. Florence Welch ( @flo_tweet ) herself provided most of the details in a series of tweets today: July 11, 2012 @ 11:15AM : hello everyone, thankyou so much for all your messages of support, yes its true..it finally happened, I've lost my voice..:( July 11, 2012 @ 11:18AM : I've sustained a vocal injury and been told i c…

7/11/2012 1

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R&B Singer Maxwell with Vocal Cord Hemorrhage

At least that's what the  Washington Post  reported on June 22, 2012. This has resulted in cancellation of his summer tour. Per media reports, his vocal cords are swollen with hemorrhage. Some fans may recall that something similar happened to Adele in winter of 2011 which resulted in her also canceling a number of engagements. She ultimately had surgery to correct her problem. Normally, the vocal cords are pearly white without any vasculature. Watch a  video  of how this e…

6/25/2012 0

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TV Show SMASH Portrays Ivy With Vocal Issues

In last night's episode (Episode 106: Chemistry) of the new hit TV drama SMASH , the main character Ivy who plays Marilyn Monroe in the show developed laryngitis that affected her ability to sing clearly, especially in the high registers. However, her speaking voice did sound normal. To treat this condition, she was given prednisone which did help her voice, but suffered unfortunate side effects of mood lability, hallucinations, insomnia, etc. Did the show accurately portray what act…

3/13/2012 0

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Adele Speaks About her Vocal Cord Surgery on 60 Minutes

When it was first reported that Adele was undergoing vocal cord surgery in October 2011, there was much speculation regarding what exact vocal cord pathology she suffered from (hemorrhage? polyp?) and what type of vocal cord surgery she underwent for correction (laser? cutting?). During her 60 Minutes interview with Anderson Cooper which aired on February 12, 2012, many details regarding her vocal cord problems have clarified. She apparently suffered from a vocal cord polyp with he…

2/12/2012 1

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