Vocal cord dysfunction

Vocal cord dysfunction is a commonly under recognised condition that is often the primary cause of respiratory symptoms or is exacerbating other respiratory conditions. It occurs when the vocal cords move in the opposite direction to what they should be doing. The condition can cause a wheeze on breathing in, difficulty breathing in, a chronic cough and a change in voice. Triggers are often similar to asthma triggers, which is why it is often misdiagnosed as asthma. Before making a diagnosis of VCD it is important to exclude other respiratory conditions. Treatment involves breath retraining with a speech pathologist.