What do we mean by an Aphony

An Aphony is the inability to speak. It is considered more severe than dysphonia. A primary cause of aphonia is bilateral disruption of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which supplies nearly all the muscles in the larynx. Damage to the nerve may be the result of surgery, thyroidectomy or a tumor.
Aphonia means no sound. In other words, a person with this disorder has lost his/her voice.
There are many reasons why this may happen. Injuries seem to be the cause of aphonia rather frequently; minor injuries can affect the second and third dorsal area in such a manner that the lymph patches concerned with coordination become either atrophic or relatively nonfunctioning. Tracheotomy can also cause aphonia.
Basically, any injury or condition that prevents the vocal cords, the paired bands of muscle tissue positioned over the trachea, from coming together and vibrating will have the potential to make a person unable to speak. When a person prepares to speak, the vocal folds come together over the trachea and vibrate due to the airflow from the lungs. This mechanism produces the sound of the voice. If the vocal folds cannot meet together to vibrate, sound will not be produced. Aphonia can also be caused by and is often accompanied by fear
This disorder can either involve the complete or partial loss of a person’s voice and can be the result of a number of different causes. However, the most common reason for Aphonia is a sustained injury to a person’s larynx, more commonly known as a “voice box”. Causes for this injury can usually be traced back to one of three major categories: mental, or physically internal and external. Mental causes for the disorder may include serious psychological problems or neurological disorders.
High levels of anxiety may also cause select mutism, which is when a person may actively decide to stop speaking. Internally, a thickening of vocal cords, harsh breathing problems or an overuse of a person’s voice may cause injury to their larynx and create temporary strain on their voice. External factors2 leading to Aphonia may include severe injuries, heavy drinking or smoking. Whatever contributing factor may have caused the disorder, there are treatment methods that should relieve your vocal chords if the damage is not severe or permanent.