A recent investigation reveals that vocal cord dysfunction is often wrongly diagnosed as asthma.
Dr. Miles M. Weinberger, of the University of Iowa, and his colleagues carried out this study on 49 patients who were reported to be suffering from this dysfunction from 1989 to 2002. Of the 49 patients, 41 were reported to be suffering from asthma who were of the age group 8 – 25 years. According to the study, asthma co-existed as a condition in just 12 patients!The study reveals that vocal cord dysfunction is of two types; one in which exertion causes the symptoms while the other type is the one in which asthma symptoms occur spontaneously. Of the 49 patients, 29 were found to be suffering from the former type of vocal cord dysfunction while 20 of them from the latter type.
Weinberger tells Reuters Health, "The long-term outcome for both...types of vocal cord dysfunction was good regardless of treatment, although instruction by a speech pathologist familiar with the disorder was generally effective in providing relief for those who accepted the recommendation to pursue the treatment."
This study is cited in "Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology."
