Bulimia nervosa as a risk factor for voice disorders - literature review

Bulimia nervosa (BN) is a type of feeding disorder that starts in adolescence and presents a variety of symptoms, recurrent vomiting in the oral cavity that may reach down to the larynx - similarly to gastro-esophageal reflux, causing laryngeal and voice disorder alterations. AIM: These studies aimed at surveying the literature and investigate the studies that considered BN a risk factor for voice disorders. RESULTS: of the ninety three papers we found, twenty-three were used as a basis for this review, among them, only three discuss BN as an etiology factor associated with voice changes in adult women, and we did not find any paper associating this with bulimic teenagers. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to observe laryngeal and vocal signs and symptoms associated with BN, especially in teenagers whose voices are going through a period of change. Keywords: bulimia, voice disorders