Ear, Nose and Throat

GET VOCAL

LOOK AFTER YOUR VOICE AND IT WILL SPEAK OUT FOR YOU

You use it every minute of the day – to communicate with your friends and partner, to talk on the phone, to shout at the kids, to chat with your colleagues – yet how much thought do you give to looking after it?

We are talking about your voice, your main instrument of communication with the world. ‘Your voice is your identity in sound. It tells the world through its position, tone, resonance, energy and expression who you are,’ says voice coach to the stars, Stewart Pearce in The Alchemy of Voice (Hodder Mobius, £10.99).

Even if you don’t use your voice to make a living like actors, singers or teachers, it still deserves respect. Luckily your voice is a strong and durable mechanism designed to last you a lifetime with great powers of recuperation and repair, but every day you put it through a gruelling routine. So if you want it to speak out loud and clear it’s essential you give it the attention it deserves just as you do other parts of your body. Here’s how.

KEEP IT MOIST

Dry atmospheres and constant talking can take their toll on your larynx or voice box leading to hoarseness. A good intake of water is needed to keep it well lubricated. Aim for six to eight glasses of water which you can sip on and off throughout the day. Alcohol and caffeine-containing drinks, such as tea, coffee and cola, can also be dehydrating and make you hoarse so keep them to a minimum.

TOP TIP Try water-rich foods such as apples, pears, watermelons, peaches, melons and grapes.

TAKE A VOCAL NAP

If your job or lifestyle calls for major vocal output it is a good idea to give your voice a break from time to time during the day. For example teachers should try to spend a few silent moments in the staffroom between classes especially if they’ve got some noisy schedules ahead.

TOP TIP Avoid whispering – this can tire your voice, drying out the protective mucus that coats your vocal cords.

CUT OUT THE ‘AHEMS’

Clearing your throat is like slamming your vocal chords together and doing it too often can lead to damage and hoarseness. If you feel a tickle have a sip of water or try swallowing to get rid of the irritation. A spoonful of honey can be soothing too.

TOP TIP Constant tickles should be reported to your GP. They could be a symptom of something else such as acid reflux, an allergy or sinusitis.

PIPE DOWN

Don’t abuse your voice and that means keeping the lid on yelling and screaming and avoiding noisy places where you have to talk above the chatter to make yourself heard. If your throat starts to feel dry or you feel hoarse it’s time to turn down the volume. Hoarseness can be the first sign that your vocal cords are being irritated.

TOP TIP Instead of shouting adopt other ways of getting attention. For example go into the same room as someone rather than shouting between rooms.

DON'T SMOKE

As well as being one of the primary causes of lung and throat cancer, smoking can seriously damage the vocal cords, which can quickly lead to a change in voice quality.

TOP TIP Consult your doctor if you experience throat discomfort or hoarseness for more than 14 days.

WARM UP

Warm-up moves are not just for singers – make vocal exercises part of your early morning routine. Practise them in the shower or on the way to work. Try some gentle humming and cooing to clear the airways and give the vocal cords a soothing work out. Humming scales up and down and practising vowel sounds can also be beneficial.

TOP TIP Include some facial and neck stretching exercises in your work out.

CLEAR THE AIR

Smoke, dust and chemical fumes can irritate vocal cords big time so say ‘No’ to people smoking near to you and avoid smoky places. Make sure you dust your bedroom regularly and vacuum your mattress, pillows and bedding. Always ventilate rooms if there are paint fumes, cleaning fluid smells, smoke or other potential irritants.

TOP TIP Resist turning on the air conditioning if you can. It can quickly dry the air …. and your vocal tract.

BEFORE YOU SPEAK

Preparing your voice for presentations and formal speaking is well worth the effort. Spend a few minutes relaxing your mouth, neck and shoulders. Gently blow air through ‘flabby’ lips then tense and relax the lips alternately (grin, pout, grin, pout). Shrug your shoulders a few times. Stretch your neck right up then relax it. Relax the vocal tract by doing a huge yawn. Make chewing movements and then sigh three times.

TOP TIP Visualise yourself looking and feeling relaxed and giving ‘good voice’.

STRIKING A CORD

Your vocal cords are two small bands of muscle within your larynx. When you are not using your voice, they remain open, creating an airway through which you can breathe. When you speak or sing, the air you breathe out is forced through the closed vocal cords, causing them to vibrate -faster for higher-pitched sounds and slower for lower-pitched ones.