Vim & Vigor - Summer 2020 - CH - 5

VOCAL CORDS AT RISK

Like Bonaventura, cheerleaders,
teachers, coaches, salespersons,
DJs and other people who use their
voice a lot are at increased risk for
hyperfunctioning vocal cords.

Mike
Bonaventura
is back on the
air again after
regaining his
voice through
vocal therapy.

SPEECH THERAPY MAKES
THE DIFFERENCE

MAIN PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES

Speech therapy can be effective in
restoring voice for those with a variety of challenges because of stroke,
brain injury and Parkinson's disease,
as well as for people with vocal
cord dysfunction, a condition that
occurs when the vocal cords don't
open correctly.
Community Healthcare System's
hospitals: Community Hospital in
Munster, St. Catherine Hospital
in East Chicago,
St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart
and the Community Stroke &
Rehabilitation Center in Crown
Point, offer speech therapy on an
inpatient and outpatient basis for
pediatric and adult patients diagnosed with speech, swallowing and
vocal disorders.
"Within a week of meeting my
speech therapist, Jill, and going
through some exercises, she had
me feeling better," Bonaventura
says. "It changed the way I talk and
also made me very aware of how I
am actually doing it. I take a lot of
breaks now."
Bonaventura was surprised when
Han recommended speech therapy
but says, "Boy, did it ever work."

The hospitals
of Community
Healthcare System
offer speech
and swallow
therapies on both
an inpatient and
outpatient basis.
Here, clinical
specialist Yesenia
Rybarski works
with St. Catherine
Hospital patient
Vicki Spates on
swallow therapy.

Vocal nodules such as the ones
Bonaventura had on both of his
vocal cords are small, hard, callus-like growths caused by vocal
misuse, explains Jill Westerfield,
MA, supervisor of Speech
Pathology at Community Hospital.
The vocal cords are V-shaped bands
of tissue that run down the middle
of the voice box. When a person
is talking or singing, air from the
lungs rushes up through the vocal
cords and makes them vibrate open.
If the voice is overused, the vocal
cords can become irritated and
over time can develop hardened
callouses from repeatedly rubbing
together. These growths prevent the
vocal cords from vibrating normally.
"Mike had a lot of the risk factors
that contributed to his voice misuse," Westerfield says. "He cleared
his throat and coughed a lot, which
is a sign of dehydration, irritation
or simply habit. He had to learn
to drink more water and keep his
throat hydrated."
As an event DJ, Bonaventura
worked in bars and other venues
that permitted smoking, which is
an irritant for the voice, Westerfield
says. Other risk factors that can trigger hyperfunction include consuming caffeine or alcohol, acid reflux,
use of tobacco products, continual

shouting or yelling, and singing
beyond a comfortable range.
"When Mike came in to see me,
he had reduced vocal intensity,
so his vocal volume was actually
decreased," she says. "He couldn't
project unless he yelled. His breath
stream became depleted and his
voice diminished when he continued to talk. His voice became more
'coarse' during speaking tasks."
Speech pathologists teach people
how to use the voice and breath in
a more efficient and careful way,
Westerfield says. "We retaught him
how to breathe and project his voice
without straining his voice or having any laryngeal muscle tension."

PUTTING IN THE WORK

"Mike turned out to have great
functional improvement after his
therapy sessions," Westerfield says.
"He was very committed to the
treatment plan and became more
aware once he understood the
risk factors."
Practicing at home is key,
says Yesenia Rybarski, a
speech-language pathologist at
St. Catherine Hospital.
"It is crucial patients complete
their assigned home exercises
because they reinforce what is
taught in therapy," she says. "The
patients who make the most gains
are often the ones who are able
to complete home exercises at
the recommended frequency and
intensity as designated by the
therapist, ultimately reaching their
desired goals." *

Speak and Sing
in Comfort

For more information about speech
and voice therapy services at
Community Healthcare System
hospitals, visit COMHS.org.

VIM & VIGOR SUMMER 2020

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3/30/20 2:10 PM

http://www.COMHS.org

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2020 - CH

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