Voice Care

-By Mrs. V.V. Keer (Assistant Professor, Audiology and Speech Therapy Department, Topiwala National Medical college, B.Y.L Nair Charitable Hospital).To avoid voice disorder, you need to take proper care of your voice. Read on to know more about the features of good voice, common symptoms of voice disorder and tips for avoiding voice disorder.Voice is an integral part of the communication process. It is through voice we express our thoughts and emotions. It reveals our personality and it is a part of the total image that we present to the world. Hence it is very important that we should have a voice that fulfills all the above functions. A Normal Voice Should Have Following Characteristics Clarity and audibilityStability and flexibility Appropriate for age and genderComfortable for the speaker If You Have a Voice Disorder, You will Experience any of the Following Symptoms Have hoarse voice or breathy voice Experience fatigue while speakingHave loss of voice Have to strain or struggle to produce voiceVoice has pitch breaks or tremorsVoice does not sound appropriate to your gender Sometimes a change in voice can be an indicator of a disease. Hence it is very important to consult a specialist in case your voice does not improve with medication for more than two weeks. Though Voice Disorders can be Caused due to Various Reasons, the Most Common ones are Caused by Abusing or Misusing our voice. The Common Activities that Cause Vocal Abuse Are:- Shouting and screaming Excessive smoking and drinking alcohol Not using appropriate pitch & intensity while speakingTalking in the presence of high background noise Persistent throat clearingTensing the muscles while speaking Singing out of your rangeTalking continuously when you have severe cough and cold So if You Care for Your Voice, You Should Follow These Tips Avoid screaming and shouting, talking excessively Decrease intake of alcohol and reduce smokingDo not talk in the presence of background noiseDo not clear your throat and relax your laryngeal mechanism Sing with appropriate pitch, intensity and rangeGet treated for your ear, nose and throat infections by a specialist Drink lot of water as hydration improves voice quality If you wish to improve your voice quality, consult a speech or voice pathologist.