Laryngopharyngeal reflux & vocal quality in senior population: "Mr./Ms. Gluttony"

Abstract

Voice is a carrier of emotions and sentiments. It is, moreover, a distinctive element of one’s personality. Voice is generated in the vocal tract from a sound produced in the larynx. When alterations occur in the normal process of voice emission, that dysfunction is called dysphonia. Dysphonia may be caused by Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR). Correlations among the mentioned parameters are scarcely examined in the existing literature, making it pertinent to render information available and throw light on the issue. The current paper focuses on how to make the elderly population (and respective informal caregivers) aware of LPR’s influence on vocal quality through a health education instrument originally designed to tackle this problem. That instrument – “Mr./Ms. Gluttony” – addresses behaviours, specifically dietary behaviours, known to precipitate, aggravate and/or perpetuate LPR.