When I was first diagnosed, ILO was known as Involuntary Laryngeal Obstruction. It now seems to be referred to as ‘Inducable’. “ILO happens when the vocal cords close when they should be open for breathing, creating a narrowing (obstruction) in the upper airway, at the level of the throat. ILO breathing is often noisy, and often misdiagnosed as asthma.” It’s terrifying when it happens and it’s difficult not to panic. Mine began following surgery to remove my thyroid (cancer). Apparently throat surgery is commonly the insult that results in ILO. To make matters worse, damage to my right superior laryngeal nerve means my larynx is permanently half closed, meaning there’s physically half the space for me to draw in air anyway. My triggers are mainly cold, humidity and exercise (sadly no more running for me). But the recent weather has been a new trial. Surgery saved my life, but I’m now living in a very different body. #ILO #VocalCords #Larynx https://www.northumbria.nhs.uk/our-services/respiratory-services/respiratory-speech-and-language-therapy/inducible-laryngeal-obstruction?ref=rns_cp