What do singers Keith Urban, Adele and John Mayer have in common besides talent and fans? Throat polyps. This has been such a huge issue for these artists in the past few months that they have had to cancel concert tours and seek treatment. Adele underwent surgery last week, after having to conacel countless tour dates. But what are polyps, and who can be affected?

Dr Anil Chowdhery, ENT Specialist at Lifeline Healthcare Group, says: "Throat polyps, also known as vocal cord polyps or nodules, are small, soft, non-malignant growths or swellings that appear on the vocal cords. Vocal cords are a mucous membrane, responsible for producing all the sound we make. In some cases it may start out as a small growth and then become as large as the vocal cords."

Painless condition

D'souza, music teacher and mother of one, was one of the sufferers. "I found I was losing my voice and the doctor confirmed that I had developed nodules on my vocal cords. It was very upsetting."

It is not uncommon to develop the condition and be completely unaware of it, as polyps are small and painless. Some vocal polyps or nodules break off while others grow large enough to interfere with speech or singing.

Those at risk are usually those who use their voices to sing or speak a lot. Teachers, singers, TV and radio personalities, lecturers and auctioneers are more likely to develop this condition.

"Excessive use of voice usually triggers this condition and, as such, those who have to use their voices continuously are at risk. It can also be caused by inhaling irritants such as cigarette or industrial smoke," says Chowdhery.

Marianne D'cruz, a professional singer and voice coach, says: "If I find I'm beginning to strain my voice I try to rest it immediately."

Generally, it is always better to see a doctor and, although throat polyps are benign, hoarseness can be also a symptom of cancer. The most easily seen clinical symptom of throat polyps is a loss of voice or a hoarseness and breathiness in speech. In the early stages it is sometimes confused with a sore throat.

Sound rest

"If you are feeling discomfort when talking, and if you are in one of the high-risk categories, please visit your ENT specialist," says Chowdhery

Doctors usually recommend a voice rest for a few weeks, which means the patient has to stop speaking for a few weeks to allow the voice to return to normalcy. D'souza says: "I recall having to write down what I needed to say as I had to completely rest my voice for three weeks."

"Modifications will have to be made to speech and voice habits. Modification in children's behaviour needs to be made if they are screamers," says Chowdhery.

Sometimes, doctors will suggest the use of steroids, which can be inhaled, and in other cases, surgery may be necessary for removing the polyps followed by voice therapy sessions. "Vocal cord oedema [swelling] and nodules gradually disappear by conservative treatment. But polyps may require microlaryngeal surgery," says Chowdhery.

"The best way to avoid nodules or polyps is to rest your voice as much as possible and to keep your vocal cords hydrated by drinking a lot of water," D'Cruz says.

- Andrea Bailey is a UAE-based freelance writer