Skip to content
Massachusetts Eye and Ear
/assets/MEE/images/mgb-default-thumb.png The Aging Voice

Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery

Aging Voice Disorder

Phone number forFor Appointments

Overview

Like many other parts of the body, the voice changes with age. The cartilage becomes hardened and the mucosa becomes thinner. Depending on voice use throughout your life, there may be cumulative scarring or thinning of the vocal fold cover. Known as presbyphonia, these situations can result in deterioration of the voice.

5Common Symptoms

  • Weak, unsteady voice
  • Hoarseness
  • Pitch breaks
  • Devoicing
  • Voice at lower volume

Diagnosis and Treatment

Patients with aging voice can make significant gains with voice therapy. If patients need additional treatment after voice therapy, augmentation to add bulk to the vocal folds can be considered to improve the voice.

Meet Our Team

We bring together physicians, speech-language pathologists, and other healthcare professionals to provide treatment to patients suffering from voice and throat disorders. Collectively, we are among the world’s most experienced – and most successful – laryngology, voice, and speech teams.


Related Conditions

Did you know?

Related Reading