In honor of World Voice Day, Florida E.N.T. & Allergy encourages everyone to participate and incorporate healthy vocal habits into your daily lifestyle.
With more than 7.9 billion people on Earth, everyone has a unique voice that helps differentiate themselves from others. Our voice is one of our defining features, and it is one of the first things others notice about us.
On World Voice Day, Florida E.N.T. & Allergy wants to bring attention to vocal health, which is often neglected and misunderstood. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, there are approximately 17.9 million adults in the U.S that currently report problems in their voice! We encourage you to maintain healthy habits for your vocal cords by following these effective tips and practices.
1. Avoid using the extremes of your vocal range – Talking too loudly and too softly like screaming or whispering can both stress your voice.
2. Eliminate background noise when talking – Trying to talk above noise causes strain on your voice and can damage your vocal cords over time.
3. Drink water – Drinking plenty of water to hydrate your vocal cords. When your vocal cords are dehydrated, they are more easily damaged and do not perform well.
4. Maintain a healthy lifestyle – Avoid smoking because it can irritate the vocal folds, plus cancer of the vocal folds is seen most often in individuals who smoke. Get enough rest and exercise regularly to provide good posture and breaking, which are necessary for property speaking.
5. Avoid or limit the use of medications that dry out your vocal folds – Medications for common colds and allergies can dry out your vocal folds. If you have voice problems, consult your doctor on which medications are safest for you to use.
6. Practice good breath support – Try to practice breathing naturally and avoid holding your breath while speaking. Support your voice with deep breaths from your chest and avoid talking from your throat without supporting breath.
7. Try not to overuse your voice – If you overuse your voice, take time for vocal rest by drinking plenty of fluids and decreasing the amount of talking you do that day. If youoften speak in front of groups, use a microphone to limit the amount of screaming and further damage your voice.
We tend to use our voices often and regularly. It is very important that you monitor your voice and develop healthy habits early on to avoid causes of vocal problems in the future. Your voice may not be healthy if:
Your voice becomes hoarse or raspy
You lose your ability to hit some high notes when singing
Your voice suddenly sounds deeper
Your throat often feel raw, achy or strained
It becomes an effort to talk regularly
You find yourself repeatedly clearing your throat
Florida E.N.T. & Allergy’s Center for Voice & Swallowing is dedicated to the education, treatment and management of voice related disorders. Their physicians and speech pathologists offer a wide range of diagn sis and treatment options for voice-related services for patients of all ages, and have the experience and technology needed to precisely diagnose and measure the degree of voice issues or loss.
“Just like dental hygiene, there is vocal hygiene to help prevent vocal fatigue” says Florida E.N.T. & Allergy Laryngologist, Daniel Vincent, M.D., F.A.C.S. When Dr. Vincent first began treating patients in the Tampa Bay area in 1998, he was the first fellowship-trained Laryngologist in the state of Florida. Since then, he has treated voice disorders in both professional and non-professional voice users and has attracted patients for specialized care from all parts of the state and beyond. His special interests include the treatment of vocal cord paralysis, laryngeal papilloma, and spasmodic dysphonia.
For more information about Florida E.N.T. & Allergy and the Florida Center for Voice & Swallowing, visit www.floridaentandallergy.com or to schedule an appointment call (813) 879- 8045 or (727) 341-0551.