DEAR DR. ROACH: My daughter, 45, has had a paralyzed left vocal cord for about a year now. We have been to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor who ran at least a half dozen tests, including several scans. These didn’t show a reason for the problem, and everything else appeared to be normal. She had a cold before this happened. We were treating her for a lingering sore throat.
The doctor has told us there is nothing to be done to unfreeze the vocal cord. I would love your opinion on this matter, as she has a lot of pain associated with it, and she coughs trying to get out what feels stuck in there. — K.P.
ANSWER: Paralysis of the vocal cord is often the result of damage to the nerve that goes to the vocal cord; there’s one on each side. The left side is particularly vulnerable and may be damaged during surgery (especially thyroid surgery), but a big fear is that a mass (especially a cancerous one) can damage the nerve and cause paralysis of the vocal cord. This is why her doctor did the CT scan.
There are other less-common causes, such as nerve damage from other occurrences (stroke and multiple sclerosis); inflammatory diseases (lupus and others); and infections (such as Lyme disease). It sounds like the ENT doctor looked for other possibilities such as these. (But if not, it should be done.)
When a cause can’t be found, we call it “idiopathic unilateral vocal cord paralysis.” This often seems to happen after a viral infection, and it sounds like your daughter might have had one. Many people with this condition get better by themselves during the first year, but now that it has been about a year for her, she isn’t likely to get better without treatment.
I am not an expert in treatment, but ENT surgeons have several types of surgical interventions to improve hoarseness, cough and discomfort. It’s time to go back to her ENT doctor or get referred to an expert in surgical treatment of this condition.
DEAR DR. ROACH: If exercise helps new arteries to grow, would it also help new veins to grow and alleviate varicose veins? — M.D.
ANSWER: It’s a good thought, but unfortunately, exercise does not make the body grow new arteries, which are the large blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood to our organs and muscles. Exercise increases the size of the arteries and can help keep them from getting stiffer with age. Exercise in combination with a good diet can also help keep them from getting blocked.
In addition, exercise can help with varicose veins, but once again, it isn’t because the body grows new veins. Varicose veins are dilated veins that occur due to damage in the tiny valves inside veins. Without those valves, the venous blood can pool under the effects of gravity, causing veins to swell.
Exercise helps because of the pump effect of the intermittent muscle contraction, which forces blood back into the large veins and ultimately back into the heart. Exercise, compression stockings and elevation are among the most important lifestyle changes for varicose veins.
* * *
Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.
(c) 2024 North America Syndicate Inc.
All Rights Reserved

Copy the Story Link