The Voice Center

Providing comprehensive care while advancing prevention, diagnosis and treatment

The Voice Center at the University of Illinois Medical Center is a comprehensive treatment center dedicated to the care of voice and airway disorders. The Voice Center is dedicated to state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment of all persons with speaking and singing voice complaints. The voice team includes physicians and therapists who are performing artists themselves and is affiliated with the Arts Medicine Project at the Medical Center. The team is able to provide an unparalleled level of expertise and understanding of the unique needs and vocal demands of professional singers, actors and public speakers.

The Voice Center offers comprehensive voice care including analysis of the speaking voice, the singing voice and of other voiced sounds; laryngeal videostroboscopy; laryngeal electromyography; voice measurements; laryngeal airflow measurements; speaking voice therapy; singing voice therapy; acting voice therapy; vocal fold surgery; vocal fold medialization; Botulinum toxin injection; arytenoid reduction; laryngotracheal reconstruction; Papilloma removal and surveillance; laryngeal re-innervation; laryngeal cancer surgery; and voice restoration.

Types of problems treated at the Voice Center include muscle tension dysphonia; vocal fold nodules, cysts, and polyps; vocal fold weakness from nerve injury; reflux laryngitis; spasmodic dysphonia; laryngeal trauma and fracture; laryngeal scarring and stenosis; subglottic scarring and stenosis; tracheal scarring and stenosis; effects of hormonal disorders on the voice; effects of aging on the voice; vocal effects of pulmonary diseases (such as asthma); vocal effects of neurological disorders; laryngeal cancer; vocal effects of environmental toxins

Who Should Be Seen By the Voice Center?

Anyone experiencing hoarseness, rough or raspy sounding voice, breathy voice, vocal fatigue, decreased vocal range, chronic cough, chronic throat clearing, pain with talking, chronic pain with swallowing, difficulty swallowing, sensation of something stuck in the throat, noisy breathing, trauma to the voice box (elbow injuries, car accidents, strangulation, falls).
Singers experiencing difficulty with register transitions, decreased vocal range, vocal fatigue, hoarseness, breathiness, trouble singing loudly or softly, prolonged warm-up times, tickling or choking sensation while singing, pain in throat while singing.
People who use their voice in their profession, such as teachers, phone operators, telemarketers, lawyers, doctors, actors, singers, public speakers, politicians, coaches, receptionists, brokers, and homemakers

A Team Approach to Voice Care

University of Illinois Medical Center otolaryngologists and other specialists closely collaborate in the care of patients with voice and airway disorders. At the core of the Voice Team are the laryngologist/voice specialist, the speaking voice therapist, the singing voice therapists and the acting voice therapists. Other health professionals who treat a variety of disorders in the body that may affect the voice may also be a part of the patient care team. These professionals include gastroenterologists, gastrointestinal surgeons, endocrinologists, rheumatologists, occupational health physicians, physiatrists, neurologists, psychiatrists, gynecologists, urologists, and ophthalmologists among others.

Emphasis on Prevention

Education of those who use their voices professionally on proper vocal hygiene is the best way to prevent the development of voice disorders. It is particularly useful to educate young students before they develop improper vocal habits. Members of the Voice Center team lecture nationally and within the Chicago area on the importance of vocal hygiene, the diagnosis and treatment of voice disorders, laryngeal function and the relationship between the larynx and other systemic (general body) diseases.

Research

The Voice Center is actively involved in a variety of research projects, including investigating the laryngeal chemoreflex; laryngeal effects of gastric reflux; laryngeal neural connections; laryngeal wound healing; spasmodic dysphonia; voice measurement; and strobovideolaryngoscopy .

Appointments

The Voice Center at the University of Illinois Medical Center provides consultation and evaluation on the campus of the University of Illinois Medical Center Eye & Ear Infirmary, 1855 West Taylor Street, Chicago. Patients who have questions about the need for a voice evaluation or about the services provided by the Voice Center, please call 1-800-842-1002. Physicians can call 1-800-842-1002 or the Voice Center direct at 312-416-6553.

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