Importance of taking care of your voice

Voice is frequently the first impression, a medium of thought that bridges people with the outside world. It announces who we are. It gives us a unique identity of ourselves. Voice is also a means through which we recognise other people important to us like our family members, friends, and enemies. One can say the sentence, and their different tones of voice can convey the momentary mood of that individual. It also expresses our personalities and defines us intellectually as well as culturally.

It projects/depicts/conveys/ our emotions such as anger, sadness, frustration, and happiness.

Have you ever wondered what will happen to you if your voice fails you? What happens when illness, injury, or fatigue constrains your communication with the outside world?

Think about it!!!

Human Voice is the most important and at the same time often overlooked gift of God. This gift (Voice) can’t be exchanged with a new model. Adverse consequences occur when voice is affected and compromised. These consequences vary according to how much an individual is dependent, personally and professionally on his or her voice usage. As we know, the preliminary function of speech is communication, in this modern society, about one-third of the workforce uses it as a primary tool in their workplace.

Professional Voice users are the individuals who rely on their voice for their daily living. This population includes Singers, Actors, Priests, Teachers, Politicians, Public Speakers, Telephone Operators, Lawyers, Call Centre workers, Clerks, and countless other professionals who rely heavily on their voices. For all of these individuals, voice and spoken communication are an essential part of what they do.

When we consider the various class of professional voice users, research has indicated that Singers and Actors have a greater vocal load due to which they are at higher risk to develop voice-related issues that can directly or indirectly affect their professional career and quality of life followed by radio and TV journalists, school and kindergarten teachers, and telephone operators.

The common voice-related symptoms noted in these professionals include harsh or rough voice, vocal fatigue, strained voice, discomfort or pain with voice use, throat clearing, frequent coughing, difficulty speaking in noisy areas, and/or voice loss. It can be very disruptive to their lives, as many cannot work without a healthy, reliable voice.

In the case of professional voice users, the vocal symptoms reported can be due to the lack of information and awareness on voice issues, resulting in improper voice use. In the long term and with increased demand they may be triggering factors for the development of voice disorders.

Apart from the amount of vocal use, one should follow a healthy and balanced lifestyle as these can also be a contributing factor to voice-related use. If you experience any voice-related issues make sure to follow the above-mentioned tips. Most importantly professional voice users must seek the help of a Speech-Language Pathologist/ Voice therapist.

Father Muller College (Department of Speech and Hearing) offers a detailed voice assessment and management protocol for all age groups. For any further queries, you can visit the Department of Speech and Hearing in Father Muller Medical College Hospital, Kankanady. You can also contact us between 8.30 am to 4.30 pm on weekdays.