Treatment Options For Vocal Cord Dysfunction

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a method of treatment for breathing disorders that continuously blows air into the lungs while the patient is sleeping. The patient's brain is consistently reinforced to hold the vocal cords apart when they are sleeping as a result of the persistent positive airflow from the device. The positive airflow into the lungs also keeps the brain and body from believing it is drowning, which stimulates the adduction of the vocal cords. Continuous positive airway pressure is only used for patients who experience laryngospasm attacks when they are sleeping at night. Using a CPAP machine involves wearing a mask over the face during sleep that exerts air pressure according to the parameters set by the patient's physician. It can take between several weeks and months to determine the right settings to treat a patient's laryngospasm attack precipitated vocal cord dysfunction. The use of a CPAP machine is not effective for all patients who use it, so other treatment methods may be needed.