Shekhar Ravjiani On Suffering From Vocal Cord Paresis, Losing His Voice: 'I Was Destroyed'

The singer and music composer said he was worried that he would never be able to sing again. "I remember tears rolling down uncontrollably..."

Singer and music composer Shekhar Ravjiani, one half of the iconic 'Vishal-Shekhar' duo, recently revealed he had lost his voice completely, around two years ago, when he was diagnosed with left vocal cord paresis. Ravjiani shared an emotional post on Instagram, wherein he opened up about this health crisis, and what he was experiencing emotionally. "Here's something I've never spoken about before... felt like sharing it today," he started.

The singer, who has lent his voice to Bollywood superhit songs like 'Ishq Wala Love', 'Jogi Mahi', 'Tujhe Bhula Diya', etc., wrote in his post: "I lost my voice two years ago. 'Left vocal cord paresis'... This was Dr Nupur Nerurkar's expert diagnosis. I was destroyed."

The music director, who has also acted in the movie 'Neerja' opposite Sonam Kapoor, added that he was 'pessimistic'. "I thought I would never be able to sing again. My family was worried. And I was not happy seeing them all stressed out. I just prayed harder."

Ravjiani added that the diagnosis did not stop him from working. He had to travel to San Diego, US, for a few weeks. There, he was introduced to one Dr Erin Walsh. "I remember tears rolling down uncontrollably as I told her that I wanted to be able to sing again... The first thing she told me was that I should not blame myself for what happened [to] my voice."

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The singer said even though his doctor made him feel comfortable, and even convinced him that he would sing again, he would 'croak' and 'hate' the sound of his voice every time he tried. But, with a lot of effort and determination, Ravjiani managed to regain his voice: "Her sheer dedication, determination and her positivity made my paralysed left vocal cord come back to normal within a few weeks. I am absolutely fine now, and can sing even better than I used to."

Vocal Cord Paresis (Or Paralysis) Complications

To understand more about this condition we reached out to Dr Sheetal Radia, consultant otorhinolaryngology and head and neck oncosurgery at Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road, Mumbai, who said it can be painful for any human being, especially a singer, to lose their voice and not be able to talk or communicate effectively.

"Our voice box has two cords -- the right one and the left one. When they come close to each other, we phonate and a sound is produced. When they separate, we are able to breathe. When we swallow food, the cords come close to each other. If they are unable to close -- due to paralysis or weakness -- swallowing is affected. And the food, instead of entering the food pipe, may enter the windpipe, leading to complications like recurrent infections, pneumonia, etc.," Dr Radia explained.

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She added that if someone is unable to phonate -- if their vocal cords do not come close to each other -- they may not be able to talk or sing. The paralysis of even one vocal cord can cause breathing, talking, and swallowing problems. "If both the cords are involved, which is rare, the patient may get breathless. Vocal cord paralysis will give the patient a husky and hoarse voice; they will be unable to raise the pitch of the voice."

How Does Vocal Cord Paralysis Happen?

The doctor explained that paralysis happens when the nerve connected to the cord gets injured, cut, or damaged. "It may occur after an accident, with injury in the head and neck region; or in case of an infection like tuberculosis. Thyroid disorders may also cause it. A person who is operated upon for cancer may experience vocal cord paralysis. Stroke patients and those with neurological conditions may also suffer."

Recovery And Regaining Of Voice

It is possible for the patient to recover completely, said the expert. "The voice may or may not be the same, but the person will be able to phonate. They will, however, need help. They will need vocal cord strengthening and swallowing exercises from a speech therapist. Generally, we wait for six months to one year for the recovery to happen. If the paralysis is due to an illness, we first treat the cause. If the vocal cords still do not come close together, there are surgical options to treat the problem, such as thyroplasty," the doctor concluded.