Bike Helmets Can Potentially Fracture the Voicebox

Image courtesy of vectorolie at  FreeDigitalPhotos.net Bike and motorcycle helmets are known to help protect against head injury. However, it may come at the cost of injuring the voicebox due to the clasp used to secure the helmet during a crash. In a research paper published in Jan 2018, 3 documented laryngeal fractures in a single medical institution were described. It is unknown whether additional laryngeal fractures have occurred due to helmet use that was never reported or identifie…

2/13/2018 0

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Vocal Cord Changes Throughout the Menstrual Cycle

It is not unheard of that a fertile female singer experiences slight fluctuations in the quality of the voice throughout the menstrual cycle. In particular, in the immediate premenstrual period, up to 40% of female singers may note a deeper shift in the vocal range, tone inaccuracy, and/or tendency to develop vocal cord hemorrhage . Such vocal changes are hypothesized to be secondary to the affect of estrogen and progesterone on the vocal fold tissues, and especially any blood vessels that …

6/15/2017 0

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Video of the Human Voicebox in Action!

In honor of World Voice Day on April 16, 2017, I have created a new video showing how the voicebox is examined using a fiberoptic endoscope threaded through the nose. I created the first version of this video back in 2007 and given better and newer technology, I have decided to do a refresh including more info and examples. Of course, the video and audio quality is also way better compared to a decade ago. Check it out!

4/14/2017 0

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Liquid Biopsy for Head and Neck Cancer

Liquid biopsy is when a simple blood draw is performed in order to detect cancer cells (CTC) or mutated DNA fragments (ctDNA) free floating in the bloodstream that has been shed from the cancer's primary or secondary sites. This test has been heralded as an alternative way to make a diagnosis instead of an invasive surgical biopsy whether by needle or excision. Liquid biopsy has been developed mainly for detecting cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, ovarian, lung, and melanoma. Liqu…

6/05/2016 0

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First Implantation of Human Artificial Larynx Announced!

Image taken from DNA ProTip SAS and Strasbourg University Hospitals announced that a fully artificial larynx was implanted into a human for the first time. Made entirely of titanium, the surgery was performed in two stages into a man with throat cancer that required his entire voicebox to be removed (laryngectomy). Stage 1: In June 2012, the larynx was removed and a titanium tracheal ring was implanted in its place. Stage 2: In November 2012, a removable valve-based device was inse…

10/10/2013 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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Levon Helm, Singer/Drummer for The Band, Dies of Throat Cancer

Levon Helm, legendary singer and drummer for The Band, died of throat cancer at age 71 on April 19, 2012. It is unclear exactly what happened over this past month, but media reports state that he was diagnosed with vocal cord cancer in 1998 and underwent 28 sessions of radiation treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His cancer was almost certainly due to his 3 packs per day smoking and though he quit with his initial cancer diagnosis, cancer being what it is, it can alwa…

4/21/2012 0

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The Vocal Problems of Professional Singers

The Washington Post on May 20, 2011 published a great article on the travails of opera singers regarding their vocal cords and the stresses placed on them (the singers and their vocal cords). The opera singer (as well as any other professional singer) are the Olympic athletes of the voice.  As such, peak performance is mandatory in order to sustain a successful career. Just as an Olympic sprinter measures their success in milliseconds... the professional singer is judged by the most minute…

5/26/2011 1

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Woman Undergoes Successful Voicebox Transplant

USA Today published a story on January 20, 2011 about a courageous woman who underwent a voicebox transplant October 2010. The surgery took over 2 days and was led by a team of doctors at the University of California, Davis Medical Center and included experts from England and Sweden. The first voicebox transplant took place at Cleveland Clinic in 1998 on Timothy Heidler after a motorcycle accident and who now talks completely normally. Read more of the story here . Reference: Laryngea…

1/20/2011 0

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