What Every Professional Voice User Should Know about Their Voice

What every classroom teacher needs to know
about the voice, voice disorders and prevention:
A Feature for Better Speech and Hearing Month
#BSHM
Sarah Wu, MA CCC-SLP
SpeechIsBeautiful.com 1
@ 2015

 Do you know anyone that makes a living off
of their voice?
 Um, that would be you guys!
@ 2015@ 2015

 Anatomy of the voice
 Types of voice disorders
 Prevention & vocal hygiene
 Questions
@ 2015

 Two small mucous membranes in your
larynx
 They cover the entrance to your
trachea
 Vibrate together and sound like a
kazoo
 Delicate yet powerful for
communication and important for
breathing
 Adults’ vocal folds are larger than
children’s
 Women’s vocal folds are smaller than
men’s
 Does size affect pitch?
 Can you change your fundamental
pitch?
@ 2015

 Any deviation in pitch, intensity, resonance
or quality that renders a person's voice
"abnormal" to the listener.
 A voice disorder may be secondary to a
number of underlying causes including
overuse, neurologic disorders, trauma,
surgery, cancer, viral and bacterial
conditions and psychological difficulties.
@ 2015

 Adults: 3-9% of the population
 Can children get voice disorders?
Children: 3-6% of population
@ 2015

 Hoarseness
 Vocal fatigue
 Breathy voice quality
 Change in pitch range of the voice
 Excessive coughing
 Excessive throat clearing
 Change in voice after a cold or flu
@ 2015

 excessive talking
 throat clearing
 excessive coughing
 inhaling irritants
 smoking
 screaming
 Does drinking coffee or alcohol have an
effect?
@ 2015

 Anyone who relies on
their voice
professionally
including:
◦ Teachers
◦ Lawyers
◦ Clergy
◦ Cheerleaders
◦ Singers
◦ Actors
@ 2015

1. Vocal nodules
2. Vocal polyps
3. Laryngitis
4. Contact ulcers
@ 2015

 Small, benign (non-
cancerous), callous-
like growths
 The most common
directly related to
vocal abuse.
 Often a frequent
problem among
professional singers.
◦ Can you think of a
celebrity who had vocal
nodules?
@ 2015

 They form at the area that receives the most
pressure when the folds come together to
vibrate.
 The nodules develop from damage caused by
repeated pressure on the same area much
like a callous forms on areas of a person's
feet that are irritated by tight shoes.
 The voice of a person who has vocal nodules
usually sounds hoarse, low-pitched, and
slightly breathy.
@ 2015

 A vocal polyp is similar to a
vocal nodule but is softer, more
like a blister than a callous.
 It most often forms on only one
vocal cord.
 A vocal polyp is often
associated with long-term
cigarette smoking but may also
be linked to hypothyroidism
(decreased activity of the thyroid
gland which is involved in the
growth and development of
children and energy control in
adults), gastroesophageal reflux,
or chronic vocal misuse.
 People who develop a vocal
polyp usually have a low-
pitched, hoarse, breathy voice,
similar to the voices of people
who have vocal nodules
@ 2015

 Laryngitis is an
inflammation or swelling of
the vocal folds.
 It may be caused by
excessive use of the voice,
by bacterial or viral
infections, or by irritants
such as inhaled chemicals
or the backup of stomach
acid into the throat
(gastroesophageal reflux).
 The voice of someone with
laryngitis will often sound
raspy, breathy, and hoarse.
@ 2015

 Contact ulcers are a less common disorder of vocal
abuse.
 They are experienced by people who use too much
force when bringing the vocal folds together for
speech.
 This excessive force causes ulcerated sores or a
wearing away of tissue on or near the cartilages of
the larynx that move to bring the vocal folds
together.
 These ulcers are also found in people who have
gastroesophageal reflux.
 People with this type of voice disorder often complain
of their voice tiring easily and may feel pain in the
throat, especially while talking.
@ 2015

 Vocal Registers
◦ Glottal fry
◦ Normal phonation
◦ Falsetto
◦ Whispering
 Which puts the most
strain on your voice?
◦ Whispering
@ 2015

 Also known as “vocal hygiene”
 1. Vocal abuse
◦ Stop yelling, shouting, or screaming. Instead use a whistle or clap your hands.
◦ Avoid lengthy conversations (at work, at home, or on the phone)
◦ Don’t speak excessively; choose your words carefully!
◦ In excessive background noise (such as in the hallways), minimize talking and if you
must talk, get close to that person and face them.
 2. Hydration
◦ Water lubricates your vocal folds, which increases their ability to perform to their
highest potential
◦ Drink until your pee is pale
◦ Avoid all drinks that contain caffeine (coffee, tea, soda) because caffeine leads to
dehydration.
 3. Smoking
◦ Don’t start smoking and if you are smoking, stop.
◦ Smoking irritates the vocal folds leading to chronic laryngitis, polyps, or cancer.
◦ If you make your livelihood from using your voice, it’s not work the risk of smoking.
@ 2015

 4. Use the proper vocal register
◦ Don’t use glottal fry, falsetto or whispering.
◦ Speak in your normal voice
 5. Throat clearing
◦ Why are you clearing your throat? Dehydration? Excessive mucus? Reflux?
◦ Avoid throat clearing that causes the vocal folds to touch because it is
traumatic and leads to significant wear.
◦ It is better to cough lightly once than clear your throat multiple times.
 6. Vocal Rest
◦ If possible give your voice plenty of time to recover from the near constant
use in the school environment.
◦ Rest your voice for 10 minutes every 2-3 hours (during prep periods, after
school).
◦ Make home time be “break time” for your voice.
◦ Keep talking to a minimum if your voice hurts.
@ 2015

 7. Avoid dry or smoky environments
◦ As a teacher it is best to avoid the bar on the weekend.
◦ Even traveling to the southwest (dry, arid) could be a bad
idea if you suspect that you might have a voice disorder.
◦ Airplanes are not vocal fold “friendly” (dry, stale air).
 8. Limit or reduce antihistamine or decongestant use
◦ These drugs have been shown to dry out the vocal tract.
 9. Reflux
◦ If you suspect you have reflux:
◦ Drink until your pee is pale yellow – or clear!
◦ Avoid all drinks that contain caffeine (coffee, tea, soda)
because caffeine leads to dehydration.
@ 2015

 Please note:
◦ If you suspect someone of having a voice problem,
see your doctor, preferably an ENT (Ear-Nose-
Throat Doctor).
◦ Request a full voice evaluation.
◦ A speech-language pathologist can provide voice
therapy to an adult or a child only with a doctor’s
(ENT) diagnosis, consent, or referral.
@ 2015

Questions???
@ 2015

What Every Professional Voice User Should Know about Their Voice

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