Hoarseness

The voice is the primary means of communication for humans socially and in the workplace. Although rarely life-threatening, voice problems cause treme ndous alteration in daily living and should not be underestimated as a medi cal disorder. Besides affecting useful communication, voice problems may al so signify the presence of more serious medical illnesses, such as malignan cy or airway compromise. This article describes normal vocal anatomy and ph ysiology and outlines a practical approach in evaluating patients with voic e disorders.