Do you keep losing your Voice?
We all know how important communication is and for many of us, it starts with our voice.
The interesting thing is that most of us take our voices for granted until we run into problems. Whether that's by losing your voice from a nasty cold or by yelling too much at a sports game, or worse, being diagnosed with a vocal disorder.
"While losing your voice typically isn't a huge medical concern, it can be a significant nuisance to the person experiencing symptoms, especially if that person relies on his or her voice for work," says Dr. Yin Yiu, ENT doctor specializing in laryngology at Houston Methodist. "In addition, frequent voice loss or sustained hoarseness can be
a sign of a more serious medical condition."
What happens to the vocal folds when we lose our voice?
What exactly happens to the vocal folds when we lose our voice depends on the underlying problem.
After days of post-nasal drip, sore throat, and caughing, it's not really all that surprising that your throat is calling a time-out (which your doctor is more formally calling laryngitis). Your vocal folds swell to protect themselves, which prevents you from sounding like you normally do.
A similar reaction - though for different reasons - is achieved when you're yelling for an extended period of time, for example at a sports game or concert.
Regardless of whether your voice loss is caused by illness or excessive use, laryngitis occurs when your vocal folds become inflamed. The inflammation causes your vocal folds to swell and prevents them from vibrating properly which can lead to hoarseness or complete voice loss.
Hoarseness or voice loss can also result from the development of benign vocal cord lesions, such as a vocal fold nodule, cysts or polyps. In addition, hoarseness could be a symptom of vocal cord cancer or neurologic conditions like vocal cord paralysis or vocal tremor.
These conditions aren't as common and affect the vocal cords in a different way than acute laryngitis, but they are less likely to resolve on their own and can only be diagnosed with a scope evaluation by a laryngologist. So if you have been hoarse for a while without significant improvement, it's definitely time for a visit at the ENT.
Do some people lose their voice more easily than others?
Anyone can lose his or her voice, but some people are more prone to voice loss than others — particularly those who use their voice a lot.
According to the National Institute of Health, 25-35% of the US population is considered professional voice users.
Clearly singers and actors are among those, but also other professionals such as coaches, teachers, lawyers, politicians, spokespersons, salespeople etc. are categorized as professional voice users as their occupation requires them to talk most of the day.
Plus, we are all unique and so are our voices. Some voices might be less robust than others or more sensitive to Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD), higher exposure to inhaled irritants, and overall more sensitive by nature.
What can you do to get your voice back?
If you do lose your voice, you might be wondering how to get it back.
The phrase 'Silence is golden' should be on top of the list, especially if you have an actual case of hoarseness or voice loss. Unless if absolutely necessary, you shouldn't be singing, talking, and definitely not whispering.
The vocal folds vibrate and come in contact with each other with every word you speak which prevents them from healing and dealing with the inflammation and can aggravate the vocal cords. further.
In addition, you should:
- Stay hydrated
- Use personal humidifiers
- Avoid irritants, such as smoking, caffeinated drinks, alcohol, and foods that are likely to cause acid reflux
- Rest & Relax (and read a book or just listen and instead of speaking ;)
What can you do to prevent voice loss in the future?
While the occasional cold and voice loss related to that might not be completely preventable, you can start precautions measures with the first sign of irritation. When you notice your voice is getting scratchy, don't push yourself but try to avoid excessive use and get some rest before it gets worse.
If you are a professional voice user, make sure you are warming up your voice before your day begins. You can start with some lip trills and other semi-occluded vocal tract exercises (rolling /r/, blowing bubbles in the water while vocalizing etc). Train your voice like a vocal athlete and incorporate a vocal cool-down at the end of the day to your daily routine. 5 min can go a long way and your voice will thank you!