The Medical Background on Polyps and Nodules

After reading my last post, I wanted to make sure that it is understood that polyps and nodules do not occur often.  It takes REPEATED, HARMFUL ACTION, OVER A PERIOD OF TIME to the vocal folds for nodules and most polyps to appear.  So yelling yourself hoarse at one hockey game, while not good for you, is very unlikely to create nodules!

Here are the basics about polyps and nodules:

1) Polyps form one at a time on one of the vocal folds.  Nodules, on the other hand, form two at a time, one on each of the vocal folds.

2) Nodules almost exclusively form with women.  Polyps, on the other hand, occur for men and women.

3) Polyps usually form AFTER a vocal hemorrhage, when a blood vessel ruptures in the vocal folds. Using cameras, we can see polyps are extremely large and they greatly inhibit singing, almost always requiring surgery to remove.  Fortunately, they usually occur on the top layer of the folds, and therefore can be removed without harming the voice.  THIS IS GOOD NEWS FOR ADELE, HOPEFULLY!

4) Nodules, on the other hand, tend to be small and can be unnoticed through most of the voice.  You can still sing with nodules, but a good voice teacher will notice that certain activities, such as singing high notes or inability to sing staccato, will occur.  Nodules do not always require surgery; they can go away with better vocal technique and consult with a vocal therapist.

Those are the basics.  There are other types of abnormal growths on the vocal folds, but they occur less often and singers rarely worry about them.  Fortunately, good technique and smart use of your instrument can reduce most of the risks.

Have you noticed I love talking about the medical background of the voice?  Go figure - my dad is a chiropractor!

DWS

PS Most of this information comes from an excellent vocal resource by Scott McCoy, Your Voice: An Inside View.