The following is a summary of “Living With Asthma and Vocal Cord Dysfunction/Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction: I Just Can’t Get Air In,” published in the May 2024 issue of Allergy & Immunology by Majellano, et al.

Asthma and vocal cord dysfunction (VCD), also known as inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO), can coexist and potentially worsen patient outcomes. However, the experiences of individuals with both VCD/ILO and asthma remain largely unexplored. For a study, researchers sought to investigate the impact of coexisting VCD/ILO and asthma on quality of life.

A descriptive qualitative study was conducted through one-to-one semi-structured interviews with 30 adult participants who had confirmed diagnoses of asthma and VCD/ILO through laryngoscopy. Thematic and content analyses were performed to interpret the data.

Most participants were female (63%), with a mean age of 63 ± 12 years. Four main themes emerged from the interviews: trapped voice, altered life, knowledge about VCD/ILO, and looking for solutions. Participants described sensations of their voice being trapped in their throat or being abruptly cut off while talking or singing. Symptoms such as throat tightness and breathlessness were commonly reported. The second theme highlighted communication difficulties, leading to shortened conversations. The third theme revealed a lack of knowledge and confusion about whether asthma was the cause of their breathlessness. The final theme detailed participants’ diagnostic journeys and their search for symptom explanations.

Individuals with both asthma and VCD/ILO experience significant quality-of-life challenges. The findings emphasized the need for increased clinician awareness of VCD/ILO from the patient’s perspective, which can aid in providing more personalized care.

Reference: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213219824000801