The genesis of voice in the human body is in the vocal cords in the larynx (wind pipe). This a voluntary mechanism which produces audible sound by the vibrations of these vocal cords. The causes for loss of voice are very varied. To begin with, the most general cause of loss of voice is the rupturing of the vocal cords. The vocal cords may get damaged due to excessive shouting. Excessive shouting exerts immense pressure on the vocal cords. This may result in the vocal cords being damaged resulting in the loss of speech. But a sudden loss of speech, albeit rarely may also be very much indicative of a stroke. The brain is the seat of control system of the human body. Various parts of the brain are responsible for the proper functioning of various faculties like sensory perception, and muscle control. If the part of the brain associated with speech is damaged, there may be a sudden loss of speech. This damage in the part of the brain is known as stroke. Strokes are of different kinds. A stroke may be caused by internal bleeding in the brain cell, in which case the stroke is called a cerebral hemorrhage. Also, sometimes a blood clot may form in one of the arteries supplying blood to the brain. The brain is thus, deprived of blood. This can also lead to a stroke and the condition is known as cerebral thrombosis. This condition shouldn't be ignored and the patient should be rushed to a medical doctor immediately. Any delay may cause complications and further deteriorate the situation.
If the possibility of the stroke is ruled out by the doctor, then the loss of voice is due to the rupturing of vocal cords as mentioned above. In such cases, the patient must take rest. The patient should place no stress whatsoever by way of talking on the vocal cords. The bodies repair mechanism will heal the vocal cords and it will be only a matter of time before speech returns completely. In the mean time, a lot of water and fresh fruits should be consumed which aid in the recovery process. Care must be taken to avoid excessively hot food as this may aggravate the situation. The patient must also refrain from the consumption of ice and any kind of chilled drinks or food stuffs. You may also practice certain exercises of your vocal cords which basically involves the production of sound in mono-syllables like aa, ee, oo, oh etc. As with any other home remedy, one must be consistent with its use. Also, at any point of time, if the condition is aggravated, one should show the doctor immediately.
answered by G R