World Voice Day today
World Voice Day is observed on April 16 every year. It was initiated in 1999 as a combined effort of American and European otolaryngologists and speech and language pathologists, particularly the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) and MD Mario André in Portugal.
All you need to know about voice disorders and how to tackle them
World Voice Day is observed on April 16 every year. It was initiated in 1999 as a combined effort of American and European otolaryngologists and speech and language pathologists, particularly the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) and MD Mario André in Portugal.
A voice disorder occurs when the vocal cords do not produce a clear sound. Sometimes these conditions are referred to as disorders of the larynx or voice box disorders. Common symptoms of a voice disorder include hoarseness, breathy vocal quality, chronic cough or excessive throat clearing, vocal strain or fatigue.
One of the most common causes is when a person with the potential of having a normal voice abuses his/her voice and hence develops a chronic voice disorder. Continuous vocal abuse may cause chronic laryngitis, nodules, polyps, cysts and oedema (swelling) of the vocal folds. A voice disorder often requires both medical treatment and therapy sessions by a speech therapist. A speech-language pathologist is trained in providing voice therapy to individuals with a voice problem.
Therapy involves exercises that generally focus on breath support, movement of the vocal cords, resonance of the voice, relaxation of those muscles involved in voice production and posture. Some of the tips for preventing voice disorders which are caused by vocal misuse and abuse are drink plenty of water whilst you are using your voice, humidify the atmosphere, put a bowl of water in air conditioned rooms.
Avoid caffeine containing drinks, warm up your voice before vocally demanding situations, don’t clear your throat frequently, avoid shouting or talking above background noise since this usually results in voice fatigue and can eventually damage the vocal cords.
