Dysphonia and Laryngopharyngeal Reflux

Abstract

Dysphonia is a common symptom of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) and requires multimodal, patient-centered care to address. Challenges in diagnosing LPRD can also complicate treatment of nonspecific dysphonia symptoms. Careful history taking with sensitivity to cultural lifestyle components in each patient is critical to management. Surgical management of acid reflux is not always indicated for dysphonia and the risk to the vagus nerve during fundoplication can worsen dysphonia. There are low-risk nutraceutical therapies that have demonstrated clinical benefit in the literature, and these should be considered for patients with polypharmacy or can be used concurrently with acid suppressive medication.

Keywords: Acid reflux; Dysphonia; Laryngopharyngeal reflux.