Speech production the larynx that then is modified by the vocal tract into different vowels and consonants. However speech production can occur without the use of the lungs and glottis in alaryngeal speech by using the upper parts of the vocal tract. An example of such alaryngeal speech is Donald Duck talk. The vocal production of speech may be associated with the production of hand gestures that act to enhance the comprehensibility of what is being said. The development of speech production throughout an individual's life starts from an infant's first babble and is transformed into fully developed speech by the age
Vocal cord dysfunction of the larynx (voice box). The glottic closure reflex (or laryngeal adductor reflex) serves to protect the airway, and it is possible that this reflex becomes hyperactive in some individuals, resulting in the paradoxical vocal fold closure seen in VCD. Two major causes of laryngeal inflammation and hyperresponsiveness are gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and postnasal drip (associated with rhinosinusitis, allergic or nonallergic rhinitis, or a viral upper respiratory tract infection (URI)). Rhinosinusitis is very common among patients with VCD and for many patients, VCD symptoms are ameliorated when the rhinosinusitis is treated. GERD is also common among VCD patients, but