When a person says they're losing their voice, usually what they describe is hoarseness. That can mean a wide range of things. We, as ENT physicians, will typically describe that hoarseness or dysphonia. It can be characterized by roughness or breathiness, increased effort or strain when talking. Sometimes it can be characterized by pain with voicing or speaking. For professional voice users, like a professional singer, it may mean that their speaking voice is totally normal but they have a hard time hitting their falsetto. For them, that is losing their voice. It can mean different things to different people. When we, as ENTs evaluate it, we actually give it a more descriptive term than just losing a voice or hoarseness.
