Miss Ekpemi Irune, a Consultant Ear, Nose and Throat, Head and Neck, Thyroid and Rhinoplasty Surgeon at The London Clinic talks to the Marylebone Journal about dysphonia, a common but little-understood voice symptom.

“It can occur for many reasons. If you have had a cold, cough or sore throat and have been run down, the symptoms are likely to be due to a viral or bacterial infection,” says Miss Irune.

“Another problem can be overuse of the voice or not using the voice properly - for example, if you have been at a party or event and have been using your voice exuberantly, you may tire out your larynx, which will take time to recover.

“If you are having a problem, it is very important not to just power through. You need to rest the voice - true ‘voice rest’, meaning not speaking at all. Whispering actually puts a greater strain on the vocal cords than normal speech. 

“In most cases, with the right care it will resolve itself, but if it has not after six weeks you should go to your GP or come to the Head and Neck Rapid Diagnostic Clinic to get it investigated,” adds Miss Irune. 

Meet the expert

Book an appointment to see Miss Irune, by telephoning +44 (0)20 3613 7496 or online via her consultant profile.

Further information 

Read the full interview online at the Marylebone Journal.

Miss Irune works at The London Clinic’s Head and Neck Rapid Diagnostic Clinic. This new service offers multidisciplinary, bespoke, comprehensive patient pathways for the diagnosis of all non-cancer (benign) conditions through to the most complex head, neck and thyroid cancers.