Polyp on Vocal Cord

my mother had a few removed about 12 years ago. they went down her throat and a camera through her nose to watch the surgery. she couldn't talk for a week or so and her voice ended up being a bit higher for a while but everything went smoothly and fine for her. good luck!

From what I have read, they are caused by voice over-use, loudness, smoking, etc. They suggest resting your voice as much as possible, stopping smoking, voice therapy and sometimes surgery. They are most likely benign, I believe.

My daughter was diagnosed with polyps when she was 15. From the beginning......she is involved with chorus in school and was also getting coaching for the Christmas concert when a week before the concert she lost her voice. So we chalked it up to wintertime and working her voice harder than normal. With a little rest it seemed better, then in preparing for the spring concert the same thing happened. So I talked to our family doctor and he referred us to a specialist. After looking at her vocal cords, reviewing her life style, singing schedule, eating habits, etc. we were told she had acid reflux, compounded with the strenuous singing created polyps. She was put on medicine and restricted from singing, yelling(she is an avid volley ball player) and anything that would be considered strenuous on her vocal cords. We also changed her eating habits, not an easy thing for a teenager. Including what she ate and when she ate it. We cut out caffeine, spicy food, etc. and ate smaller meals (4 times a day instead of 3). Making sure not to eat anything at least 2 hours before bed. Also sleeping slightly elevated. Because we were told that polyps could come back, I also took her to a therapist to excercise her voice and to teach her how to use her singing voice properly in order to get back to the singing level she was at before all this started. All this seems to have worked for her the polyps are gone. I take her back yearly to have her vocal cords checked.

Good luck, talk to your doctor about all your concerns. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

Yes, I had one, but I am a singer and a teacher, so it was really crucial to my profession! For me it did come from overuse and exhaustion - it was basically a callus from too much work. Not anything biological. As much vocal rest as I could get was the most immediate treatment. My doctor recommended plenty of fluids, limited caffine (which dries your chords), and some diet ideas based on limiting acid (apparently mild reflux was also affecting my chords). I was also set up with a vocal therapist, and now I teach with a wireless mic. Send me a message if you have specific questions, I'll be happy to help how I can. Best wishes!

I've had this same thing about about 8yrs ago I went to see a ent specialicst for this and had it removed as a short procedure,and i had to rest my voice for about 2wks their was a little pain as to be expected but everything turned out okay!

Hi B.

I had several vocal polyps.

I saw an ENT dr & was scheduled for laser surgery to have them removed.
That was when I was 19.
It's nearly 20 yrs later (Oh! My! God! Say it isn't so!!! 20 yrs!)....anyway, I haven't had any problems since.
It's same day surgery & I was home that afternoon.

I had to stay quiet for one week.

HTH.