Voice is perhaps the most important tool for communication in daily living. Many professionals also rely on their voice for work. However, excessive or improper use of one’s voice can lead to voice abuse. Voice abuse occurs when the vocal cords are strained or misused, resulting in varying degrees of vocal damage. In professions where speaking or singing is essential, such as teaching, entertainment, and public speaking, the risk of voice abuse is even higher. This post discusses voice abuse, its causes, symptoms and how to prevent it.
What is voice abuse?
Voice abuse refers to any action that strains or misuses the vocal cords. The vocal cords are a pair of small muscles in the throat that vibrate to create sounds during speaking. With time, this misuse may result in inflammation and development of nodules in the vocal cord, which significantly affect voice quality and sometimes cause pain.
Causes
The common causes of voice abuse include:
- Excessive talking or shouting: Individuals who talk or shout a lot such as event hosts (MCs) are at a high risk of voice abuse.
- Poor singing techniques: Singers without adequate vocal training may strain their voice while hitting improper voice pitches.
- Speaking over background noise: People may inadvertently raise their voice in loud settings, causing vocal strain.
- Smoking: Smoking may cause irritation and inflammation of the vocal cords.
- Alcohol and caffeine: These substances can dehydrate the vocal cords, which require moisture to function properly.
Symptoms
Some notable symptoms of voice abuse are as follows:
- Hoarseness or scratchy voice
- Sore throat
- Reduced vocal range, especially among singers who may begin to find it hard to reach certain pitches they could previously reach
- Voice weakness
- Frequent throat clearing.
Preventing voice abuse
It is important to prevent voice abuse, especially for those who depend on their voice in their professions. Here are some ways to prevent voice abuse:
- Ensures healthy speaking habits: Avoid yelling and speaking over a noisy background. Use a microphone if you need to speak to a large audience.
- Warm up your voice: Just like athletes warm up their muscles, warming up your voice is helpful, especially before speaking for long periods.
- Stay hydrated: Drink enough water to help keep the vocal cords hydrated and resilient to strain.
- Limit alcohol and caffeine intake
- Take voice breaks: Take out time to rest your voice, especially if your job requires you to speak often.
- Get professional vocal training: Vocal training for professional speakers and singers can be helpful to learn techniques to avoid vocal abuse and maximize vocal health.
It is important to note that symptoms of vocal abuse should resolve with adequate rest, hydration and gentle vocal exercises. However, if you experience persistent hoarseness, throat pain and other symptoms that do not resolve with rest, you should see a doctor (Ear, Nose and Throat {ENT} specialist) as soon as possible.
Remember to subscribe to our newsletter for more updates from us!
