What could cause a low, slow voice along with pain in a 14-year-old boy?

Question

Hello doctor,

My voice was normal, like any child, until I turned 13. I was making an effort to get the loudest voice in the class at school because my voice was soft and low. Then, at 14, I started screaming with all my strength, and I found a loud voice accidentally and started to use it, but still, the voice was too low and caused so much pain; my soft voice still exists, and I make sure not to use it cause it i's too soft and low I will be a joke as a man at 20. I went to a doctor and took medicine for gastroesophageal reflux disease, but it did not help; after that, I made a laryngoscope, and they said everything was normal, nothing was uncommon and gave me a referral to a speech-language pathologist, and nothing changed still my voice too low and caused pain.

Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com

I am sorry to hear about your struggles with your voice. Given your history of trying different treatments like medication for gastroesophageal reflux disease and undergoing examinations like a laryngoscope, it is positive that there do not seem to be any underlying structural issues affecting your voice. Since you have already seen a speech-language pathologist and did not see significant improvements, it might be beneficial to consider seeking a second opinion from an ENT. Some additional steps you could consider include:

Vocal therapy.
Psychological support.
Avoiding smoking, excessive caffeine intake, or yelling can help protect your vocal cords.
Voice rest.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.