Aphonia is the inability to speak and is considered to be more serious than dysphonia. The term Aphonia literally means ‘no voice’ and is a disorder in which the individual loses his voice.

Functional or Psychogenic Aphonia triggers of in patients with underlying psychological problems and issues. Laryngeal examination is recommended in such cases which shows bowed vocal folds that fail to respond to the midline during phonation.

Causes of Aphonia:

There are various causes that can trigger this disorder:

The primary cause is bilateral disruption of the recurrent laryngeal nerve that supplies larynx to almost all the muscles. This nerve can be damage during surgery or tumor.

Stress can also be one of the underlying causes of this disorder.

Another cause can be vocal abuse which is triggered by consuming excessive alcohol, smoking and exposure to harmful fumes.

Fear is one of the most common contributors resulting in the loss of voice.

Injuries, both minor and major which affect the second and third dorsal area in such a way that the lymph patches that are required for coordination become atrophic or relatively nonfunctioning can also lead to Aphonia.

Symptoms of Aphonia:

• Loss of speech.
• Aphasia.
• Confusion.

Treatment:

Treatment of Aphonia must begin with consultation and counseling from a certified speech pathologist and a psychologist. The patient’s medical history and underlying causes need to be detected and observed.

Initially, therapy must be targeted at rectifying those conditions that are likely to produce a disturbance in the centers of coordination between the three nervous systems. Then the overloaded nerve forces of the body should be calmed. The caused of poor nervous coordination, which is one of the primary causes must be eliminated and the collective forces of the body should be aligned.

Both osteopathic and neuropathic manipulations are suggested but in varying degrees.

Hypersensitive nervous systems need to be handled carefully and gently.

Hypnosis can also be used in some cases.

Surgery and therapy play an important role in treating the patient and are done based on the diagnosis and severity.