Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask you detailed questions about your voice problems and examine you thoroughly. A topical anesthetic may be applied to numb your vocal cord tissues before your doctor examines them using one of the following tools:

• Mirror. Your doctor inserts a long, rigid instrument with an angled mirror, similar to a dental mirror, into your mouth.
• Flexible laryngoscope. Your doctor inserts a flexible tube containing a light and camera through your nose.
• Rigid laryngoscope. Your doctor inserts a rigid viewing tube through your mouth.
• Videostroboscope. Your doctor inserts a camera that is combined with a flashing light into your mouth to provide a slow-motion view of your vocal cords as they move.

Additional tests are sometimes used:

• Sound (acoustic) analysis. Using computer analysis, your doctor can measure irregularities in the sound produced by the vocal cords.
• Laryngeal electromyography. Small needles are inserted through the skin to measure the electric currents in your voice box muscles.