Our voice is a vital part of everyday life, and most of us probably don’t realize just how much we use it unless we suddenly lose it. Your voice is precious, and it needs to be looked after properly.
Talking to our family, communicating with work colleagues, or using the phone – we use our voices all day, everyday. But we regularly take it for granted and don’t always give it the attention it deserves. Dr. Anastasios G. Hantzakos at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Voice Clinic explains, “Our voice is a valuable resource and one that we need to look after. Proper vocal hygiene and care can give us the best chance of maintaining a lifelong healthy voice.”
“The first sign of a problem with your voice is usually a hoarseness or roughness, which can sound as if your voice is unstable, and you may find it hard to talk for long.” He recommends asking yourself the following questions as soon as you notice any change in your voice:
- Has your voice become hoarse or raspy?
- Does your throat often feel raw, achy, or strained?
- Has it become an effort to talk?
- Do you repeatedly clear your throat?
- Do people often ask you if you have a cold when you don’t?
- Have you lost your ability to hit some high notes when singing?
Voice problems can be caused by a number of things, which include overuse or misuse of your voice, infection, injury or even cancer. The team of Speech and Language Pathologists at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, who work with clinicians to assess, diagnose and treat voice-related concerns, suggest vocal rest and offer the following tips to prevent problems persisting, and help maintain a long-lasting healthy voice for the future.
- Drink lots of waterKeeping your body hydrated by drinking plenty of water each day (6-8 glasses) is essential for maintaining a healthy voice. The vocal cords vibrate extremely fast with even the simplest sound production. Staying hydrated will optimize vocal hygiene and the throat's mucous production, aiding vocal cord lubrication. To aid hydration, try to cut down on things that cause you to become dehydrated, like alcohol, caffeine, and soda.
- Don’t smokeIt is well known that smoking can lead to lung or throat cancer. Primary and even secondhand smoke that is breathed in passes by the vocal cords causing significant irritation and swelling of the vocal cords, which can permanently change voice quality, nature, and capabilities.
- Don’t abuse itYour voice is delicate! Try to avoid screaming, cheering, or talking very loudly as much as possible. A significant increase in voice volume or something that causes you to change your normal pitch (either going higher or lower) causes harm to your vocal cords and can lead to a variety of problems. If you feel like your throat is dry, tired, or your voice is becoming hoarse, take some vocal rest and stop talking.
- Minimize throat clearingClearing your throat is the equivalent to slapping or slamming the vocal cords together. Excessive throat clearing can cause injury and subsequent hoarseness. An alternative to voice clearing is taking a small sip of water or simply swallowing to clear the secretions from the throat and avoid the urge to clear it. The most common reason for excessive throat clearing is usually an unrecognized medical condition, such as gastroesophageal reflux, laryngopharyngeal reflux disease, sinus, and/or allergic disease.
- If you are sick, try to keep quiet.Reduce your vocal demands as much as possible if you are hoarse or suffering from an upper respiratory infection like a cold. Singers should exhibit extra caution if they become hoarse as permanent and serious injury to the vocal cords are more likely when they are swollen or irritated. Rest will help strengthen vocal cords in the long run.
It is important to "listen to what your voice is telling you!", and always talk to a doctor if you are concerned about a problem in your throat.