Asthma and vocal cord dysfunction (VCD), also known as inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO), can coexist and potentially worsen patient outcomes. However, the experiences of people with both VCD/ILO and asthma remain largely unexplored. Researchers in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice sought to investigate the impact of coexisting VCD/ILO and asthma on patients’ QOL.

“The experience of people who have VCD/ILO and coexisting asthma has not been explored. Understanding the experience of VCD/ILO in people with asthma is essential 13 for communication between clinicians and patients to explain the coexistence of these disorders, and it can help differentiate between asthma related symptoms and VCD/ILO-related ones,” wrote Eleanor C. Majellano, PhD, and colleagues.

The researchers conducted a descriptive, qualitative study through one-to-one semi-structured interviews with 30 adult participants who had confirmed diagnoses of asthma and VCD/ILO through laryngoscopy. The investigators then performed thematic and content analyses 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. Patients commonly reported symptoms such as throat tightness and breathlessness. The second theme highlighted communication difficulties, leading to shortened conversations.

“Like other physical features such as height, eyes and hair color, and weight, voice is an important aspect of individuals’ identity. The difficulty of being heard and understood in groups affected participants’ confidence, decreased socialization, and impaired work- or leisure related functioning,” Dr. Majellano and coauthors wrote.

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.

The researchers concluded that people with both asthma and VCD/ILO experience significant QOL challenges. “These findings can be used to increase clinician awareness about the experience of VCD/ILO from a patient’s perspective and can help to support a personalized approach to care. Understanding what is important to the patient can increase the patient clinician partnership and improve the quality of shared decision-making processes related to asthma and VCD/ILO care,” the researchers explained