Smoking has many negative effects on our health. A significant part of the change it makes in the vocal cord can do vocal sports. Even if there is no underlying bad disease, there is edema in the vocal cords due to smoking. This edema is more common in women. We call this condition cigarette polyp or reinke edema.
In patients with cigarette polyp, also known as Reinke’s edema
– Voice thickening
– Sizzling sound
– Easy fatigue of the voice
– A muffled, barely audible voice
– Symptoms such as shortness of breath are observed.
The treatment for smoking polyps is vocal cord surgery performed through the mouth. During this surgery, the edema-polyp in the vocal cords is cut and removed. Our patients start speaking after a short vocal rest after the surgery. Post-operative vocal therapy is a must for a fast and good recovery.
If left untreated, smoking polyps cause severe shortness of breath and hoarseness over time. More importantly, the risk to life increases as it becomes difficult to recognize diseases such as laryngeal cancer and lung cancer, which can be recognized early with the onset of hoarseness.
If you or someone close to you smokes and has a hoarse voice, you should consult a physician specializing in voice at the first opportunity.