title: [From a voice disturbance symptom to specific diagnosis].
abstract: Voice disturbances cause significant disability for speech professionals and persons using plenty of speech in their work. It is important for a basic healthcare physician to know when to refer the patient to specialized care, speech therapist or occupational health care. A general practitioner should be able to carry out endoscopy of the vocal cords and have an understanding of the major etiological factors causing voice disturbances. Primary care holds the key position in providing initial instructions and preventing the prolonging of voice disturbances. The article describes the functioning of the larynx along with the most common organic, neurologic and functional voice disturbances and their treatment.
authors.affiliation: Tampereen yliopistosairaala.
authors.forename: Leenamaija
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kleemola
authors.forename: Eeva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sala
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004724:Endoscopy; D006801:Humans; D007830:Larynx; D011320:Primary Health Care; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D014833:Voice Quality