What causes vocal polyps, the condition Fauci had surgery for
- Dr. Anthony Fauci is recovering from a surgery he had Thursday to remove a vocal cord polyp, which contributed to his raspy voice.
- Polyps are non-cancerous growths on the vocal cords usually caused by chronic vocal misuse, like talking too loudly or singing without proper breath support.
- Surgery is one way to treat large polyps, but related conditions and speech habits typically need to be addressed too.
Most Americans like to hear Dr. Anthony Fauci talk, with 65% saying they trust the information he delivers about the coronavirus pandemic, according to a July 15 Quinnipiac University poll.
But Fauci's vocal cords haven't been so keen on all of the infectious disease expert's raspy speaking, which likely contributed to a vocal polyp he had removed Thursday.
Vocal polyps are non-cancerous growths usually caused by chronic vocal misuse or abuse, like speaking too loud or singing without proper breath support, though underlying medical conditions and habits like smoking can cause them too.
In the past, Fauci has acknowledged throat issues, once reportedly covering his mouth when a lozenge got stuck — a move that was widely interpreted as a "face-palm" related to President Trump's comments.
In the spring, he also said polyps may be an issue for him, telling the Economic Club of Washington about his irritated throat that never healed after catching the flu.
"I probably have a polyp there," he said at the time, adding that "the only way you're going to make it get better is to keep your mouth shut. But that's not in the cards right now."
Now it is, with the doctor home resting post-surgery.
People with vocal professions and hobbies, from coaching to singing, are susceptible
When vocal polyps develop on vocal folds — the tissues in your voice box that vibrate when you talk, yell, or sing — they can infere with your voice, leading to issues like hoarseness, feeling like you have a lump in your throat, voice fatigue, and even neck and ear pain, according to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.
The blister-like growths can appear on one or both vocal folds, and are also called polypoid degeneration or Reinke's edema.
In addition to chronically straining your vocal cords, the polyps can pop up from a single instance of "vocal abuse," ASHA says, like singing your heart out at a concert.
Smoking, thyroid problems, acid reflux, allergies, and caffeine and alcohol consumption can contribute to them. People in vocal professions like teaching, coaching, singing, and cheerleading may be especially susceptible.
Adele, Björk, Keith Urban, and other celebrities have undergone polyp-removal surgery.
Many vocal polyps eventually need surgery, but complementary therapies are critical
ASHA recommends visiting an otolaryngologist — or an ear, nose, and throat doctor — if your vocal polyp symptoms last more than two to three weeks. It may be a vocal polyp, or a similar lesion like a nodule or cyst.
Clinicians can such growths by listening to your voice and looking at your throat using an instrument like an endoscope.
If caught early enough, polyps may be treatable by addressing any underlying condition, like allergies, and changing your behavior, like stopping smoking, working with a speech-language pathologist to improve your speaking or singing patterns, and taking time to rest your voice and hydrate.
In some cases, medications to reduce inflammation can help too.
But often, polyps require some form of laser surgery if the more moderate measures don't improve the symptoms or it continues to grow. Botox injections may help too, the Mayo Clinic says. It's unclear what specific type of surgery Fauci underwent.
A few days after resting from laser surgery, people can start using their voices normally again, but recovery should be supported by other ongoing interventions, like work with a therapist on good vocal habits and stress reduction.
Treatment can change the sound of your voice, and surgeries for more advanced vocal problems can render professionals like singers out of business for months and leave them grappling with their identities.
But interventions are important to prevent longer-term work-related and quality-of-life issues.
"You need to take care of your voice at least as [well] as you take care of your car," Dr. Richard Rosenfeld, professor and chairman of otolaryngology at Long Island College Hospital, told US News & World Report.
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