What to Do If Your Child Has a Raspy Voice
Lots of children have raspy voices, and if they shout a lot, they can lose their voice. This is normal when it happens every once in a while. However, some parents may ask themselves: What do I do if my child always has a raspy voice?
In fact, there are multiple reasons why children could have a raspy voice. Laryngitis, allergies, or even screaming a lot are just the beginning of a long list. However, if this is a recurring problem, you need to take action.
What is aphonia?
Aphonia is where there’s a change in the natural functioning of your voice. Basically, this is any change that happens in children’s larynx. In general, this is what happens when kids strain their voice.
Due to these changes and using their voices too much, children could sound hoarse or off-pitch, and not be able to speak loudly. When this happens too often, it’s important to find out why.
If this lasts for longer than a week, it may be a disorder. In these cases, you should go to an otolaryngologist to figure out the cause and treatment. It’s important to control this disorder.
Causes of aphonia in children
Although there are many factors that can cause this unpleasant situation, not all of them are permanent or even recurring. The flu and other respiratory infections can cause the occasional raspy voice.
Certainly, there are other conditions that can lead to kids losing their voice. For example, allergies can cause it, or it could be the symptom of another disease. Therefore, it’s important to watch your child to see what else he’s feeling.
The goal isn’t to be worried or scared, but to get your child to the doctor as soon as possible. The main thing to watch out for is if the hoarseness or raspy voice goes on for a long time or is serious.
My child always has a raspy voice: what to watch out for
Non-serious aphonia usually lasts for a few days, or at most, a week. If it goes on for more than 10 days, it’s very important to go to the pediatrician. A raspy voice for more than two weeks may need more rigorous treatment.
If your child’s sore throat prevents him from eating or breathing easily, you should take him to the emergency room. If you have a baby, this could be very dangerous and could have severe complications.
A raspy voice that goes on for a while could be a symptom of a more serious illness. However, you’ll see other symptoms too, like coughing up blood.
Causes of a prolonged raspy voice
- Allergies: Children with sinusitis an acute rhinitis might have vocal cord disorders. In addition to antibiotics, you need to protect your child from things that cause allergies.
- Serious illnesses: Unfortunately, there are children who can suffer from cysts or even throat cancer. In general, these diseases have more complex and noticeable symptoms.
- Misuse of vocal cords: It may not seem true, but kids can lose their voice if they overuse their vocal cords. If they scream a lot and don’t know their limits, they might frequently have a raspy voice.
“A raspy voice that goes on for a while could be a symptom of a more serious illness. However, you’ll see other symptoms too, like coughing up blood.”
What do I do if my child always has a raspy voice?
Once you know the cause, you can find the best treatment for your child. If it comes from allergies, it’s best to find out if it’s from the environment or food. Your child needs to get the right treatment, and stay away from those allergens.
On the other hand, if your child has a raspy voice from yelling too much, it’s best to start a speech therapy treatment. From this approach, he can learn to use his voice more appropriately.
Additionally, we should mention that hygiene plays a very important role in chronic throat infections. Therefore, you need to make sure that your child takes care of his oral health. Therefore, you can reduce the number of bacteria in his mouth.
In any case, it’s always a good idea to consult a medical specialist. He can explain the source of the problem, and even teach you how to do different exercises with your child. The goal is for him to learn to manage his voice. Then, he can take care of his vocal cords better.