Voice Changes in the Elderly

The impact of aging is as inevitable in the larynx as on all biologic systems. The muscles of larynx have the potential to atrophy, the elastin fibers of lamina propria thin with age, and mucous production diminishes. As a result, vocal folds fail to approximate appropriately and the stress on once-robust vocal folds increases. These changes present as poor voice quality, vocal tension, tremor, and altered fundamental frequency. Rather than consider presbyphonia as an immutable diagnosis, we must see it as an opportunity to elevate our standard of care and set goals to work for therapeutic improvement of voice quality.