Sleep Apnea and Voice Disorders

Just curious...any sleep apnea patients also experiencing voice disorders? Specifically "dysphonias", including muscle tension dysphonia (MTD), spasmodic dysphonia (SD) and related conditions. The symptoms can include difficulty producing speech, a breathy, broken, harsh or "croaking" voice, and other troubles trying to vocalize or control the voice in a normal, easy way. Interested to know your story - please share it with me!

soundasleep wrote:Just curious...any sleep apnea patients also experiencing voice disorders? Specifically "dysphonias", including muscle tension dysphonia (MTD), spasmodic dysphonia (SD) and related conditions. The symptoms can include difficulty producing speech, a breathy, broken, harsh or "croaking" voice, and other troubles trying to vocalize or control the voice in a normal, easy way. Interested to know your story - please share it with me!

Are you talking about people with UN-treated sleep apnea or those that are using XPAP therapy?
I've never heard of anyone mentioning this and I could only imagine those using XPAP with an ORAL interface that might be affected......as far as those using XPAP therapy.

Den

Thank you for asking for clarification.
The question is directed toward persons with sleep apnea, whether or not they are using xpap therapy.
Again, the question is this:
Are any sleep apnea patients also experiencing voice disorders? The issues with the voice would be problems producing speech, a breathy or hoarse voice, or difficulties controlling the tone, pitch or overall quality of the voice. The onset of these problems may have been gradual or sudden.
Thanks again.

Wulfman wrote:I've never heard of anyone mentioning this and I could only imagine those using XPAP with an ORAL interface that might be affected......as far as those using XPAP therapy.

Den

Not sure this is correct. Air goes past vocal cords regardless of entry point -- via the mouth or the nose. That's why, as a singer, I was worried about xPAP causing problems...although the problems I worried about were drying of the vocal cords. Humidification is supposed to stop that from happening.

I did quite a bit of research before going on therapy and didn't find any links to vocal problems other than drying of the cords. I'll be interested to learn what other people know on this subject.

I saw that tv show too, and have my own worry about it.

I have been experiencing a random "hoarseness" for over a year now. I believe it started BEFORE I went on cpap therapy, however, and I don't feel it's linked to my cpap machine.

I've always had a problem with dry mouth, and assumed it was because I was a mouth breather. Now, my mouth is fine while I sleep, but my throat gets dry. I fiddle with the HH, and try to find a happy medium between desert throat and drowning from rainout.

So far, I can't correlate my waking up and noticing my throat is dry, and my random hoarseness. I do know that coworkers are constantly commenting on my voice. Whenever I go froggie, seems someone has to make a comment.

Just one more thing to worry about I guess - along with my dimming eyesight, and imminent parkinsons...

I'm sorry you worry about it, too. Feel free to winge on to me. What are we here for but to comfort one another through our fears?

Cheers,
Babs

This is the TV show that was on last week about Dysphonia:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MedicalMys ... 171&page=1

I just googled it, and found out RFK Jr. has it too.

I have to admit I hate listening to Diane Rehms. I turn her off the radio all the time. I assumed she'd had a stroke. I was shocked to see how young she really is.

Cheers,
Babs

I think Paradoxical Vocal Cord Dysfunction (PVCD) should also be considered and it is more common especially with OSA patients, it can cause the same voice dysfunction so can post-nasal drip, GERD etc.

I had a VC closure just the other night, first time I ever had one of those, I know now how people can die in their sleep, I sorta knew what it was and started manipulating my adams apple and I tell ya I struggled with it, trying to make a sound, nothing finally it opened up.

I don't think it was neurological (they try using that excuse for everything) I think it was more due to sinus and post nasal drip. I had been taking Claritin D to dry things out, before it dries things out it gets real sticky and I assume that was what it was from.

I've been to a GI specialist many times and had a GI Endoscopy exam a couple times, I'm sure if there was a problem my doctor would have spotted it.

Years of GERD can also compromise ones vocal cords, if it can destroy your LES probably even easier for it to compromise the vocal cords. GERD is even highly suspect in premature tooth decay and periodontal disease, it is mainly hydrochloric acid.

I've never studied it much, but I often wondered if the mucosa that drains down our throats from our sinuses is not the same mucosa that lines the stomach and prevents that acid from eating through the wall of the stomach. So if it is doing that should we really be stopping it with decongestants? Think I better study it more first, sometimes I get overwhelmed with my logic.

Soundasleep asks...Just curious...any sleep apnea patients also experiencing voice disorders?

Good question, and I've wondered the same thing myself. Of all the guys I know with OSA (and I include myself here), none have a melodious, or even deep voice. Mine is on the weak side, which is why I just hate noisy environments as nobody can hear me. Also, people sometimes ask me to speak louder over the telephone.

Has my voice become stronger with a few years of happy pappery? I can say that it has. It's better supported, and a shade deeper. (And, more relaxed.) But my voice has a ways to go before it gets to a Robert Goulet-like depth and richness.

Now, I'm sure that counter-examples exist, and that there are many apneics with finely-toned and well-supported speaking and singing voices. However, in my experience, most of us will have higher, and sometimes squeekier voices than our non-OSA friends.



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Captain_Midnight wrote:Soundasleep asks...Just curious...any sleep apnea patients also experiencing voice disorders?

Good question, and I've wondered the same thing myself. Of all the guys I know with OSA (and I include myself here), none have a melodious, or even deep voice. Mine is on the weak side, which is why I just hate noisy environments as nobody can hear me. Also, people sometimes ask me to speak louder over the telephone.

Has my voice become stronger with a few years of happy pappery? I can say that it has. It's better supported, and a shade deeper. (And, more relaxed.) But my voice has a ways to go before it gets to a Robert Goulet-like depth and richness.

Now, I'm sure that counter-examples exist, and that there are many apneics with finely-toned and well-supported speaking and singing voices. However, in my experience, most of us will have higher, and sometimes squeekier voices than our non-OSA friends.



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Robert Goulet is dead.......
Put me in the Harold Reed (of the Statler Brothers) category. Not much "squeek" here. (and the last I heard, he was still alive)

Den

I feel my voice has become stronger on PAP therapy (two months). My range as a singer has improved. I can hit lower notes with more confidence and hit higher notes with greater clarity. In fact, I may have to give up performing Dylan songs altogether. I don't have to cough and clear my throat as much I used to, either.

I attribute all that to two things. One, I am breathing filtered, humidified air 8 hours a day as I sleep. Two, I am off all allergy meds, since a lot of the trouble I had attributed to allergies must have been caused by the untreated OSA.

YM/KMV. (Your mileage/kilometerage may vary.)

jnk

I'd be very surprised if the quality of my voice changed due to CPAP...I'm a classically trained soprano with a widening lower range as I get older. But I do have asthma and allergies which I have to "sing around." If breathing the filtered air all night helps with my congestion and drainage issues, I'll be a very happy camper! I hadn't thought of that as a perk!

CorgiGirl wrote:I'd be very surprised if the quality of my voice changed due to CPAP...

I used to snore/gurgle/choke/gasp all night. Putting an end to all that has got to be a big help to the health and condition of my ears/nose/throat/lungs, IMO.

jnk

Snoredog wrote:I think Paradoxical Vocal Cord Dysfunction (PVCD) should also be considered and it is more common especially with OSA patients, it can cause the same voice dysfunction so can post-nasal drip, GERD etc.

I had a VC closure just the other night, first time I ever had one of those, I know now how people can die in their sleep, I sorta knew what it was and started manipulating my adams apple and I tell ya I struggled with it, trying to make a sound, nothing finally it opened up.

Snoredog, that's really scary. I'm glad you're okay.

Snoredog wrote:Think I better study it more first, sometimes I get overwhelmed with my logic.

Well, I know that I'm sometimes overwhelmed with your logic, that’s for sure!!

Wulfman wrote:Put me in the Harold Reed (of the Statler Brothers) category. Not much "squeek" here.

Wulfman!! How lowwwww can you gowwwww?? BTW, I hope you know you can't have your Kate and Edith, too.

Captain_Midnight wrote:Now, I'm sure that counter-examples exist, and that there are many apneics with finely-toned and well-supported speaking and singing voices. However, in my experience, most of us will have higher, and sometimes squeekier voices than our non-OSA friends.

CorgiGirl wrote:I'd be very surprised if the quality of my voice changed due to CPAP...

I have a male friend with OSA who has a deep, melodious voice. He uses a CPAP machine now, but he sounded fine before that. I have a male friend without OSA who has one of the best voices I've ever heard, and he's a high, high Irish tenor. I really think a person's vocal range is just part of the hand he/she is dealt, like eye color or height.

In my experience (I’m a singer, too), there's a difference between the quality and the strength of a person's voice, and it’s the strength that can be affected by OSA. On the other hand, just like a well-practiced, fit athlete can endure more than someone who’s not fit, if a person with OSA practices consistently (assuming the person is singing "properly," hydrating enough, using good posture and breath control, etc.), the OSA won’t affect the strength of that person’s voice in the same way it would that of someone who hasn’t been practicing/singing regularly.

I’m in a large choral group and am part of a quartet. This spring, I had a lot of extra musical things going on, I was practicing well and often, and I was in great voice. During the same time, I was sleeping terribly, and I hadn’t started on CPAP therapy yet. My last concert was in May, our choral group was finished until fall, our quartet didn't get together to practice for a few weeks, and I rarely practiced on my own. When we did get together, my range had shrunk and my breath control was awful. During the same time, I was sleeping terribly, and I hadn’t started on CPAP therapy yet. I have to think the difference was in how much I was singing/practicing, not whether or not I had OSA. I haven't been on CPAP therapy long enough to be sure, but I'll be extremely surprised if being on the hose will affect my voice quality adversely, as long as I don't let everything get too dry.

Hey, Wulfman, were you just talking about your speaking voice, or do you sing, too? Any chance you're a tenor, jnk? If so, and since I'm an alto, we could start a group with CorgiGirl. Whaddya think, CorgiGirl? Practice venue could be a problem.... halfway between Tacoma and the Big Apple would put us somewhere in the neighborhood of Minneapolis, I think........

Marsha

marshaeb wrote:Hey, Wulfman, were you just talking about your speaking voice, or do you sing, too? Any chance you're a tenor, jnk? If so, and since I'm an alto, we could start a group with CorgiGirl. Whaddya think, CorgiGirl? Practice venue could be a problem.... halfway between Tacoma and the Big Apple would put us somewhere in the neighborhood of Minneapolis, I think........

Marsha

Oh, goodie! Frequent flyer miles! Maybe we could crash the Republican convention next week!!!! (Not enough time to crash the Democrats this week....)

I agree that a few weeks out of practice makes for a rough few weeks back. One of my groups will be starting up again in mid-September, so I've been doing some noodling at home but I know it's not enough.

Thanks for taking the time to explain quality and strength. I was still trying to figure out how to say it when you came along and did so beautifully.

I am hoping that my experience is like Jnk's and that my asthma and allergies get better since I find myself singing around a lot of mucus most of the time. Meds are helpful, but they also dry things out, so getting off of them would be wonderful!

Classically trained soprano in Tacoma, huh?

How about a really badly trained soprano in Lakewood, who can only stay on key if someone is singing right smack in front of me? That sounds awful. It's not that the trainers were bad, it's that the student really can't sing.

I can sing all the wrong notes REALLY LOUDLY though! Is that what you mean by "strength," Marsha?

Sadly, my stepfather is the SPEBSQA member, not I. And being the stepfather, I didn't get any of his pretty voice genes.

LOL,
Babs