Voice, Speech and Swallowing Disorders Clinic

Voice disorders are abnormalities in pitch, volume or resonance. People with voice disorders experience difficulty speaking, sore and painful throat, hoarseness, decreased quality of voice, difficulty in coordination of breathing and abnormalities in volume.

Language and speech disorders are related to difficulty in comprehending speech or expressing oneself or both. Fluency disorders (such as stuttering), delayed language and speech (when a child starts speaking later than peers), and articulation disorders (improper pronunciation) are the most common problems in language and speech disorders.

Swallowing difficulty is manifested by delay or obstruction in the passage of foods from the mouth to the stomach and improper migration of foods into the trachea. “Penetration” implies the presence of food at the level of vocal cords, while “aspiration” is the presence of foods below the level of vocal cords; both conditions threaten life and may lead to death. Aspiration occurs when food materials advance to the lungs through the trachea.

At our Voice, Speech and Swallowing Difficulty Unit, tests and examinations are performed to determine the problematic voices in order to treat voice disorders. Test results are reviewed by teams of specialists at our hospital and personalised treatments and therapy approaches are planned. If the patient is required to undergo an operation, pre-and post-operative voice therapies are planned. At the same time, other disorders of speech and swallowing are rehabilitated in patients who are undergone a laryngeal operation.