Voice impairment and menopause

Abstract

Menopause rating scales still do not regard voice impairment as a genuine climacteric symptom, although voice changes are frequently reported. The purpose of this study was both to register and differentiate voice alterations and disorders in menopausal women. A total of 107 women between 37 and 71 years of age who were rated as postmenopausal according to their hormonal status answered a questionnaire on voice changes and vocal discomfort. Of this group, 49 women mentioned voices changes, and 35 of those women associated these changes with subjective discomfort, whereas 58 women mentioned neither voice changes nor discomfort. Sixteen of the women who mentioned voice changes and eight who did not participated in a comprehensive investigation, which included completion of the Klimax questionnaire, a head and neck examination, videostroboscopy, perceptual evaluation of voice sound, voice range profile measurements, and voice dysfunction index determination. Voice changes during menopause might be a common problem seen in clinical practice. Therefore, an additional systematic registration of voice impairment in future menopause rating scales should be considered if further studies confirm our findings of a high prevalence of voice complaints associated with menopause. Severe menopausal voice impairments, even without other climacteric symptoms, should be regarded as an indication for phoniatric examination.