Vocal Cord Dysfunction

An asthma patient has particularly sensitive air passages, or airways, resulting in difficult breathing for the patient when these air passages are irritated from an introduced substance or atmospheric change.

These symptoms are a result of one or more of the following: extra mucous in the patient’s airway, swelling in the tissue of the airways as a result of introduced irritants and muscle spasms in the air passages as a result or one or both of the first causes listed.

Sometimes, patients exhibiting the symptoms associated with asthma are not actually experiencing an asthma attack, however. One example of a different disorder that closely resembles asthma in its manifestations is Vocal Cord Dysfunction.

Vocal Cord Dysfunction is caused when there are extraneous movements in the vocal cords as a result of speaking.  For this reason, the vocal cords may block the airway and cause the more severe symptoms that indicate a moderate to severe acute asthma attack.

Asthma Guide

• Asthma Information
• Symptoms of Asthma
• Asthma Treatment
• Controlling an Asthma Attack
• Asthma and Allergy
• Vocal Cord Dysfunction
• Acid Reflux and Asthma
• Asthma Causes and Triggers
• Asthma and Pregnancy

• Asthma Medications and Pregnancy
• Exercise Induced Asthma
• Asthma and Exercise
• Occupational Asthma
• Peak Flow Meters
• Asthma Diagnosis
• Asthma Statistics
• Asthma and Altitude
• Living with Asthma