Difficulty Speaking Due to Pain
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Throat pain
Hoarseness
Hoarse voice
Difficulty speaking due to pain
It hurts when I speak or swallow
Pain when swallowing
Throat pain when swallowing
Throat pain on one side
Throat pain when yawning
Painful breathing
Loss of voice
About the Symptom
It describes the pain with speaking and sometimes pain with using the muscles used in speech. The medical term is odynophonia and can be due to many causes including infection, inflammation, or trauma. It may be accompanied by hoarseness (dysphonia).
When to See a Doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
- Difficulty speaking due to pain
Possible Causes
Generally, Difficulty speaking due to pain can be related to:
- Acute Tonsillitis / Pharyngitis
Infection of the tonsils and pharynx (back of the mouth), either by viruses or bacteria.
- Common Cold (Upper Respiratory Tract Infection)
Viral infection of the nose and throat. Symptoms include coughing, runny nose, and throat pain. Most colds are caused by viruses; a few are caused by bacteria.
- Acute / Chronic Tracheitis / Bronchitis
Inflammation of the airways, typically caused by flu viruses spreading to the airways. Symptoms include strong coughing, increased phlegm, fever, and tiredness. It is usually caused by viruses rather than bacteria.
- Burn/Scald of Roof of Mouth
- Bronchiectasis
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, Difficulty speaking due to pain may be related to these serious diseases:
- Acute Epiglottitis
The epiglottis is a cartilage flap over the windpipe. Acute epiglottitis refers to life-threatening inflammation and swelling of the epiglottis, which can result in airway blockage. It can be caused by infection or injury (e.g., scalding or burning). It can affect anyone, but infants and the elderly are more vulnerable.
- Peritonsillar Abscess / Deep Neck Abscess
- Pertussis
- Pneumonia (Lower Respiratory Tract Infection)
- Bronchial Asthma
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Is speaking difficult because of pain?
- How long have you had difficulty speaking due to pain?
- How has your difficulty speaking due to pain evolved?
Reviewed By:
Eric A. Gantwerker, MD, MMSC (Otolaryngology (ENT))
Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Northwell Health and Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He holds a Master of Medical Science (MMSc) in Medical Education with a special focus on educational technology, educational research, and game-based learning from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Science in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University. He has a special interest in faculty development and has been a speaker or faculty at hundreds of local, national, and international courses and conferences. He is also an active blogger and podcaster for several organizations, including the Harvard Macy Institute (HMI), Harvard Medical School CME Online, and BackTable Innovations. He has been featured in the news and print for media outlets such as USA Today, Businesswire, The Washington Post, Nature Medicine, Fox News, and KevinMD. He was also the Vice President, Medical Director of a medical video game company, Level Ex from 2018 to 2023 that utilized game technology and psychology to create interactive experiences for healthcare professionals. | He is recognized as an expert on the implementation of educational technologies and gaming with a foundation in educational theory for health professions education. He was honored to be inducted as an Associate Member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Academy of Master Surgeon Educators and as an Associate Fellow of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE).
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
Content updated on Jan 29, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Vocal Cord Strain - Penn Medicine
https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/vocal-cord-strainVan Lierde KM, Dijckmans J, Scheffel L, Behlau M. Type and Severity of Pain During Phonation in Professional Voice Users and Nonvocal Professionals. Journal of Voice. 2012;26:671.e19-671.e23. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2011.11.008
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2011.11.008Kim S, Atkinson C, Harris AH, Tibbetts K, Mau T, Tibbetts, et al. Primary odynophonia: When pain is out of proportion to dysphonia. Laryngoscope. 2020;130:E183–9. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.28154
https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.28154