Hi, I'm Margaret Stoddart. I suffer with a voice condition called Muscle Tension Dysphonia. To explain this further, Dysphonia is defined as an abnormal sound of the voice, including hoarseness. Symptoms of hoarseness relate to problems in the sound-producing parts (vocal cords or folds) of the voice box or larynx. This results in a raspy, weak or airy voice. there are many other different conditions such as Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD), Vocal Tremor, Vocal cord Paralysis plus many more. I have suffered with this condition for around 6 years and have had various forms of treatment including, Speech and Language, Laryngeal Massage and now Botox. The purpose of starting these podcasts is to raise awareness of these conditions as I believe there is not enough known in the UK, despite 10% of the population suffering from related conditions. In this episode I talk a little bit about my condition and  how Dysphonia International have been a fantastic support for me and I have also become an Area Contact Leader for them.  If you would like to share your experiences please do get in touch and I will arrange to 'chat' with you. Together we can raise awareness!