New Clinical Guideline for Hoarseness Offers Assessment and Treatment Advice
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A new clinical practice guideline offers advice to physicians assessing and treating dysphonia, or hoarseness, a condition that affects a substantial number of individuals at some point in life.
A new guideline helps physicians determine when to view vocal cords through laryngoscopy to diagnose dysphonia.
(Photo credit: Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2002;128:677-681)
The guideline, created by an expert panel assembled by the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) Foundation, seeks to offer evidence-based recommendations for managing dysphonia and to raise public awareness of the condition's prevalence and its treatment options (Schwartz SR et al. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2009;141[3]:S1-S31). According to the guideline, only about 6% of individuals seek treatment for dysphonia, which is more common in women, children, and older adults. Certain occupations have high prevalence rates, including telemarketers (31%), aerobics instructors (44%), and teachers (58%).
For many individuals, an encounter with dysphonia may be little more than a brief nuisance, or a …
