Voice & Swallowing

Our caring team can diagnose and treat disorders related to the larynx, vocal cords, upper air passageways, and upper digestive tract.

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Common Voice and Swallowing Problems

Speech disorders
Vocal paralysis
Acid reflux
Laryngitis
Dysphagia
Spasmodic dysphonia
Muscle tension dysphonia

Diagnosing Your Condition

When you arrive at The Barranco Clinic with symptoms like voice changes, difficulty swallowing, or a persistent cough, we’ll begin with a thorough physical examination and an evaluation of your symptoms. From there, we may perform additional testing—like acid reflux testing or vocal cord and voice examination—to gather additional diagnostic information.

Acid Reflux Testing

We can confirm if acid reflux is causing your symptoms with pH testing. During this test, we will insert a small probe inside your nose to track, record, and send your pH levels to your provider. The test lasts one to two days, and you can do all your normal activities during that time.

Vocal Cord and Voice Examination

We use a laryngoscope to detect abnormalities in your vocal cords. This is a quick, in-office test that takes just minutes to complete. After we’ve numbed the back of your throat, we’ll insert a thin, flexible tube through your nose to visualize your throat. This allows us to diagnose many conditions, including vocal nodules, polyps, paralysis, laryngitis, and more.

Acid Reflux Treatment

Acid reflux can be extremely uncomfortable. It’s characterized by stomach acid rising up the esophagus and into the throat, creating hoarseness and a burning sensation in your throat.

Because acid reflux can be difficult to treat, our team will provide supportive, ongoing care to help control your condition. Your treatment plan will be multi-faceted and individualized, and may include:

Diet and lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes will be your most important defense against acid reflux. You’ll want to avoid foods that irritate your condition, eat smaller meals, and wait three hours after eating before lying down.
Medication. Medication can play a role in controlling your acid reflux. We may prescribe proton pump inhibitors or H2 blockers along with lifestyle changes.

Vocal Cord Nodules and Polyps

Your vocal cords are what allow you to speak and communicate. When they’re overworked, they can develop polyps or nodules. These growths cause hoarseness and discomfort and can limit your ability to use your voice.

Treatment will depend on the size of the growths and their underlying cause. In most cases, we start with conservative treatments, including voice therapy and treating associated symptoms, like acid reflux and chronic sinusitis. If your condition doesn’t improve with these treatments, you may require surgery. Our innovative surgeons remove these lesions using precise, minimally invasive techniques.

Vocal Cord Tumors

The vocal cords are two muscle bands in the voice box that vibrate in response to air from the lungs. Signs of a vocal cord tumor include:

Voice changes
Persistent sore throat
Trouble swallowing or breathing
Lump in the neck
A sensation that something’s stuck in your throat
Coughing up blood
Earaches

If we find a tumor on our vocal cords, we will first biopsy the tissue to determine if it’s cancerous or benign. If cancer is present, you’ll need surgery to remove the mass and (possibly) radiation therapy.

Parathyroid Surgery

Parathyroid surgery is performed to treat hyperparathyroidism. It’s done under general anesthesia and requires small incisions at the base of the neck so your surgeon can access the four parathyroid glands. Depending on your condition, we can remove all or a portion of the glands.

Thyroid Surgery

Thyroid surgery (thyroidectomy) is done to partially or completely remove your thyroid gland. This is done if your gland is over- or under-active or if it develops a tumor or growth. It’s performed under general anesthesia and does not require a hospital stay. Your surgeon will make a small incision at the base of the neck, taking special care to ensure that the resulting scar is discreet.

Why Choose the Barranco Clinic for Your Care?

The Barranco Clinic has been serving Central Florida patients for decades. We have unmatched experience in diagnosing and resolving voice and swallowing conditions for people of all ages. Whether you need ongoing support to control your acid reflux or you require minimally invasive surgery to remove a growth of mass from your vocal cords, you can trust our team to deliver the highest level of specialized care.