Strategies to Maintain Vocal Power and Resilience

Strategies to Maintain Vocal Power and Resilience

Your mug is your megaphone, your pipiest ofpipes, the tool that brings your thoughts to life. Michael Benninger, an ear, nose, and throat specialist, points out that most of us take our voices for granted, utilizing them daily without a second thought.

However, illnesses such as laryngitis, accompanied by heavy coughing and hoarseness, can leave us speechless. In most cases, our voices return to normal after recovering from a cold. But there are times when the hoarseness lingers, leading to a gravelly or husky voice, potentially damaging our vocal cords. While rest can often solve the issue, the demands of our busy lives often keep our hoarse voices around.

Hoarseness occurs in almost everyone at some point in their life, and 20% of the U.S. population experiences chronic voice dysfunction. This number increases significantly in voice-intensive professions. Teachers, for example, experience issues with their voices 60% of the time in their lifetime and 11% at any given moment.

Remember that your overall health plays a significant role in your vocal health. A nutritious diet, maintaining a healthy weight, moderate drinking, smoking cessation, and regular exercise are all excellent ways to support your voice's stamina and strength.

To ensure your voice stays healthy, Dr. Benninger recommends the following tips:- Tune in to your voice regularly. Hoarseness can indicate issues such as laryngeal cancer or allergies. If your hoarseness persists for more than a few weeks, particularly if you smoke or don't have cold-like symptoms, consult a voice specialist. Be mindful of your voice, and rest it if it becomes hoarse or your throat starts feeling scratchy due to overuse. Drink water to help lubricate your vocal folds.- Kick the smoking habit once and for all. Tobacco, nicotine, chemicals, and heat can cause inflammation, swelling, and even cancer of the mouth, nose, throat, and lungs. Excessive drinking can also dehydrate your vocal folds, straining them.- Watch your volume. When cheering or yelling at games, avoid screaming, cheering loudly, or talking over loud noise, as they put unnecessary strain on your vocal folds.- Warm up before doing voice-intensive activities. Before giving a speech, teaching, or singing, stretch your neck and shoulders, hum, or glide between low and high tones using different vowel sounds.- Address reflux. Acid reflux can damage your vocal folds. If you experience frequent heartburn, a bad taste in your mouth, frequent bloating, burping, or a lump in your throat, consult a specialist for help.- Don't force it. When you're hoarse due to laryngitis, a cold, or flu, take it easy. Avoid speaking loudly or at length or straining your voice.- Control the urge to clear your throat. Instead of frequent throat clearing or harsh coughing when you have mucus draining down your throat, try sipping water or using a cough drop.- Allow your voice to rest. If you've been talking too much or too loudly, let someone else do the talking for a while.- Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water helps lubricate your vocal folds.

The power of your voice is immense and essential for your daily life. Studies have shown that individuals vary the strength, tone, and pitch of their voices in attractive courtship scenarios or help a preemie's brain development by hearing a mother's voice. However, events such as sports games or concerts where you cheer and talk loudly can strain your voice, even causing bruising to the vocal folds.

If the hoarseness persists for an extended period or shows no signs of improvement, it may be a cause for concern. In such cases, a specialist might need to refer you to an ear, nose, and throat doctor for further evaluation and treatment. By adopting a healthy lifestyle, you can help maintain a strong and vigorous voice.

[1] Cleveland Clinic. "Chronic Hoarseness." Cleveland Clinic, 28 Aug. 2019, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/18679-chronic-hoarseness.[2] Mayo Clinic. "Hoarseness." Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 27 Mar. 2022, www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/hoarseness/basics/causes/sym-20050718.[3] Harvard Health Publishing. "Protect your voice." Harvard Health, 24 Mar. 2021, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/protect-your-voice.[4] American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. "Professional Voice." American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, www.asha.org/Publications/Leadership-and-Advocacy/Advocacy-Central/Professional-Voice/.[5] University of Chicago Medicine. "Hoarseness: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments." University of Chicago Medicine, 1 Mar. 2021, uchicagomedicine.org/find-a-specialist-and-services/areas-of-care/ear-nose-and-throat/conditions-treatments/hoarseness.

1. Incorporating various forms of exercises like fitness-and-exercise, yoga, or sports into your lifestyle can contribute to a stronger and healthier voice.
2. Adopting a proper nutrition routine, rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, can help promote overall health and thus, vocal health.
3. Skin-care regimens focusing on hydration and reducing irritants can support better vocal health, as dry or irritated skin might result in strained vocal cords.
4. Keeping an eye on lifestyle habits such as excessive alcohol consumption and smoking can prevent damage to the vocal folds and help maintain a healthy voice.
5. Staying updated with the latest advancements in science and health-and-wellness can provide valuable insight into the best practices for maintaining a strong and healthy voice.

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