Chronic Voice Issues

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My 12-year-old son’s voice often becomes raspy and hoarse. It’s painful and bothersome. Any ideas to help prevent and treat it effectively?

I would recommend seeing a competent ENT first. When my son was struggling with a chronic hoarse voice, a friend mentioned that she’d read an article in a local circular positing that this condition can be a symptom of small nodules on the vocal cords. I decided to check it out and, to my surprise, that was the exact diagnosis the ENT gave my son. He then had surgery, which cured the condition immediately. He hasn’t had any issues with his voice for over a decade. I later learned that surgery doesn’t work for everyone and that some people see success with speech therapy.

- Ruchy M., Linden

My son developed a terribly raspy voice after a flu, and we simply couldn’t get rid of it. We then took him to a speech therapist, who taught him how to use the stomach muscles when talking, and that finally helped. I still don’t know why the flu left him with such a voice, but the speech therapy sessions and exercises definitely helped.

- M. Koenig

I’m not sure what can help you prevent it, but when my husband gets hoarse, I boil a pot with water and add some drops of peppermint essential oil. He covers his head with a towel and inhales the scent of the boiling hot water with the oil. This unclogs the system and clears the throat. He also drinks apple cider vinegar with honey (I know, the taste is awful—but honey helps sweeten it) and it’s been really effective.

- S. Raab, Boro Park

Hoarseness is very often a sign of gastric reflux. The acid coming up from the stomach can irritate and inflame the vocal cords, causing hoarseness (laryngitis). Does his hoarseness develop after he eats certain foods? Try to take note if there are any particular triggers. If there are trigger foods, he may possibly have GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). Encourage him to eat smaller meals and not to eat too close to bedtime. If reflux is indeed the culprit, a wedge cushion for when he sleeps can be really helpful. Definitely have it checked out by a general doctor or ENT.

- Bracha B., Yerushalayim

My daughter had a hoarse voice for months. I checked it out by her doctor, but we couldn’t find anything that was triggering it. We hoped it was just a matter of abusing her voice in camp the previous summer. Then, I noticed she had a tooth abscess that was causing an infection in her gums. We had the abscess removed and, incredibly, the hoarseness disappeared. The dentist explained that any infection in the oral cavity can cause hoarseness. Just sharing my experience in case it can help you.

- M. Gold, Monroe

Can it simply be that his voice is changing? Many boys experience a change of voice at this age. Learning some simple speech exercises can help him deepen the voice properly and make sure it doesn’t get raspy. I’ve also heard of children who get nodules on their vocal cords during this maturity stage that go away within a few months. Allergies can also affect one’s voice. Seasonal allergies can inflame and irritate the vocal cords, so if he suffers from allergies, that might be related.

- M. Lipschitz, Baltimore

I once suffered from a terrible case of hoarseness for several weeks. As a teacher, this was extremely difficult and annoying. I saw an ENT, but he didn’t see anything that could have been bothering my vocal cords. After lots of sleep and taking care of a personal matter that was causing me a lot of stress, my voice finally returned. Seems like sleep and stress are key factors in so many issues we face! The ENT did tell me I need to be careful not to strain my voice, both speaking too loudly and whispering (which was interesting to me, but he said whispering is equally straining). He also said I shouldn’t start talking as soon as I feel my voice come back as this prevents the cords from healing completely.

Baruch Hashem, the period passed, and I got back my voice. I’m very grateful for that as a neighbor of mine damaged her vocal cords permanently because she didn’t use her voice properly. These days, I try not to take my voice for granted and thank Hashem every day for my loud and clear voice. It’s so important to allow the vocal cords to heal properly.

- Leora S., Woodmere

Salt is known to help with the mucus that is often the cause of hoarseness. He can gargle with saltwater every couple of hours. If that’s not an option, cook a very salty chicken broth and have him drink it often.

- Leah Rosenheim, Lakewood

A hoarse voice over a longer period of time needs to be checked out by an ENT. From personal experience, I would advise you to take your son to an ENT who specializes in voice disorders.

- Leah Toren, SLP