Professional Voice Care

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Whether you’re a singer, presenter, dispatcher or actor whose voice is your livelihood — or you’re just having voice issues — you want to clear things up now.

So, when things start to feel sore or sound a little ragged, it’s time to get professional voice care. This kind of treatment helps you learn what’s causing things like hoarseness, strain and more. And it can help you get your voice back to where you want it to be.

Cleveland Clinic’s professional voice care experts are here to find the best treatment path for you and your career or any voice needs. From behavioral changes to medical care, our team gets to the bottom of your condition with personalized care — always keeping in mind that your voice is your most important asset.

Why Choose Cleveland Clinic for Professional Voice Care?

Patient-centered care:

When you use your voice for work, problems with it can stop your career in its track. Your needs and well-being are our top priority. That’s why we take time to listen to your concerns, answer your questions and make sure you get highly personalized care to keep your voice working for you.

Comprehensive care:

Our professional voice care team finds out what’s causing your problems. They also focus on preventive care and finding the best ways to avoid future complications. We’re here to help get your voice back to its best shape — and do what it takes to keep it that way. Meet our team.

Trusted experts:

From well-known sports announcers to Cleveland Orchestra Chorus members, voice pros across all fields turn to us for treatment and support. Our professional voice care team understands the challenges that come with using your voice every day, all day. And they have the experience to pinpoint and treat the underlying cause of voice problems — often without surgery. But we’re not just here for the pros — if there’s something wrong with your voice, we can help.

Skilled collaborative providers:

Voice problems can start in different places, like your mouth, nose, throat and voice box. Even your lungs and neck muscles can play a part. That’s why we take a team-based approach to professional voice care. You may see providers from specialties like otolaryngology, immunology and allergies, endocrinology, pulmonary medicine and more.

Virtual visits:

When you need a quick check-in with your provider, a virtual visit can save you a trip to their office. You’ll get the same great one-on-one care and attention without leaving home.

National recognition:

Cleveland Clinic is a trusted healthcare leader. We're recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for our expertise and care.

Conditions Cleveland Clinic’s Professional Voice Care Team Treats

Your voice is important to your sense of self — and confidence. It plays a big part in how the world perceives you. And how you communicate. You want people to hear and understand you, even in a loud place.

Relying on your voice for your livelihood amplifies these things — including how you use it. And voice changes and problems don’t discriminate. Whether you find yourself on the stage, behind a podium or on the phone all day for work, you could be struggling to project and articulate your voice. You may not even sound like your usual self at all.

Some voice problems take time to develop. Others may come on suddenly. Our experts treat all kinds of conditions affecting your vocal cords, voice box (larynx) and windpipe (trachea), like:

Airway and throat narrowing.
Allergies.
Chronic pharyngitis.
Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD).
Hoarseness.
Laryngitis.
Laryngopharyngeal reflux.
Loss of voice (aphonia).
Vocal tremor.
Age-related changes in your vocal cords.
Voice changes after general anesthesia.
Spasmodic dysphonia.
Swallowing problems.
Vocal cord dysfunction.
Vocal cord lesions.
Vocal cord paralysis.
Voice box cancer.

Professional Voice Care Evaluations at Cleveland Clinic

Voice problems affect everyone differently. So, before we start treatment, you’ll meet with our team so they can take a closer look at what’s going on. This helps us pinpoint a diagnosis and assemble a personalized care team based on your needs.

What to expect at your first visit

Learning how your voice problems started and evolved is important to our team. It plays a part in your diagnosis and treatment plan.

That’s why at your first visit, your provider will ask a lot of questions like:

When did you first start noticing your voice problems?
What kind of symptoms are these voice problems creating?
How are your voice problems affecting your life and work?
What tests, if any, have you already had?
Do you have any other health conditions?

During your appointment, you’ll have a physical exam. And your provider will take a close look at your face, head, throat and neck. They may ask you to speak or breathe on cue while they’re doing this. And they’ll ask if anything hurts or feels uncomfortable. You may also do exercises to test your voice’s tone, volume and pitch.

Testing for voice problems

Your provider may also do a laryngoscopy. This test lets them look inside your throat using a small camera attached to a tiny tube. They’ll check for narrowing of your airway, vocal cord nodules, polyps, cysts or inflammation. Your provider may also do a special test called stroboscopy to evaluate how your vocal cords are vibrating.

Meet Our Professional Voice Care Team

Many things can cause voice problems. That’s why we take a team-based approach to your treatment. This lets us make sure you get the most personalized care and the best possible results. Your care team may have providers from different specialties, like:

Laryngologists, or specialized ear, nose and throat doctors (otolaryngologists).
Speech-language pathologists.
Voice coaches.
Allergists.
Gastroenterologists.
Oncologists.
Pathologists.
Pulmonologists.
Respiratory therapists.
Radiologists.

Providers Who Treat Voice Problems

Locations

Our healthcare providers see patients at convenient locations throughout Northeast Ohio.

Getting Professional Voice Care at Cleveland Clinic

When we craft your professional voice care plan, we take a lot of things into consideration. Your diagnosis, how you use your voice and your recovery goals play a big part in this decision.

Vocal rest

For short-term conditions like laryngitis or hoarseness, we may ask you to rest your voice to avoid straining it further. This means no shouting or singing. And you’ll want to talk as little as possible. You may need to do this for a few days or even a few weeks. Your provider will go over your timeline with you.

Voice therapy

If you have a more complex condition, you may need voice therapy. Our speech therapists will work with you to find the best ways to regain or regulate your voice. You may learn how to coordinate your breath and voice with relaxed vocal cords or speak louder, even with background noise.

Your therapist may also talk with you about ways you can protect your voice moving forward, like:

Drinking plenty of water.
Limiting caffeine and alcohol.
Managing things like coughing and GERD.
Quitting smoking.

Other treatments

Some conditions like vocal tremor or spasmodic dysphonia have specialized treatments. Your provider will talk with you further about these options.

Taking the Next Step

When you find yourself struggling to speak clearly or loud enough on the job, it doesn't mean your voice career is at a standstill. Cleveland Clinic’s professional voice care providers will guide you through personalized treatment focused on your needs and goals. We’re here to help you get back behind the mic, on the phone or center stage as quickly as possible.