The voice is the primary means of communication for humans both socially and in the workplace. Although rarely life-threatening, voice problems cause tremendous alterations in daily living and should not be underestimated as a medical disorder. Besides affecting useful communication, voice problems may also signify the presence of more serious medical illness, such as malignancy or airway compromise. This article describes normal vocal anatomy and physiology as well as outlines a practical approach in evaluating patients with voice disorders.

Hoarseness is the term used by most people to describe a change in normal voice quality. It is a nonspecific term somewhat similar to a patient's complaint of dizziness when describing symptoms from light-headedness to true vertigo. Hoarseness may imply breathiness, roughness, voice breaks, or unnatural changes in pitch. Laryngologists use the general term dysphonia to describe abnormal voice quality with no specific cause implied. A complaint of hoarseness may represent serious disease and therefore should not be ignored, especially if present for more than 2 weeks. Before proceeding with a discussion of abnormal voice, however, it is imperative to understand normal voice production and the relative anatomy.