Written by: Laura Janzen / Voice Therapy / March 2020

We all know about maintaining proper hand hygiene, but what about proper vocal hygiene? Many professions are vocally demanding such as acting, singing, teaching, law, sales and many more. Learning about and implementing healthy voice habits and improving vocal hygiene can protect your most valuable instrument and keep it functioning in peak condition.

Improper speaking techniques and vocally damaging behaviours can lead to both temporary and permanent vocal damage. The first step to protecting your voice, is understanding how the voice works.

1. Respiration: Breath is the foundation of the voice. Diaphragmatic breathing (or “belly breathing”) is the most effective breathing pattern for speech and singing. This breathing pattern involves the belly expanding as it fills with air on inhale and then deflating as the breath is released. Speaking on the breath will allow your voice to flow freely without muscle tension and vocal strain.

2. Phonation: Your voice box or “larynx” is a structure in your neck on top of your windpipe which contains your vocal folds (More commonly referred to as vocal chords). Vocal folds are membranous structures which vibrate together as the air flows out on an exhale creating sound-waves. Vocal misuse including yelling or coughing excessively can lead to physical changes on the vocal folds including vocal polyps and vocal nodules. Structural changes to the vocal fold will lead to a rough or raspy voice quality.

3. Articulation: The final part of speech is shaping the waves created at the vocal folds into different speech sounds by moving your articulators (Mainly your lips, teeth and tongue).

1. Stay hydrated. Drinking 2 litres of water per day is recommended to maintain optimal vocal hygiene. Hydration will allow the vocal folds to move together more efficiently and it will also reduce the amount of mucous sticking to the vocal folds. There are multiple types of hydration at play when it comes to vocal health including:

   • Systemic hydration (the amount of water present in your whole body) and

   • Topical hydration (Surface hydration of the vocal folds themselves).

     • Research suggests that a combination of both systemic and topical hydration is most effective in facilitating optimal vocal quality (Sivasankar et al., 2010).

2. Maintain good breath support: Take diaphragmatic (belly breaths) before speaking and breath often during speech. Taking a bigger breath will allow you to project your voice without straining or pushing. Establishing an effective breathing pattern is often the first step in voice therapy.

3. Warm up your voice: If your job has high vocal demands, a good habit to develop is warming up your voice before starting your day. Warming up the vocal mechanism will not only help prevent injury, but it has also been shown to improve objective vocal quality (Lierde et al., 2011).

4. Rest your voice when tired, sick or sore: After a vocally demanding day or during an illness, your body will let you know when you have pushed your voice too hard. Vocal fatigue, soreness and aphonia (losing your voice completely) are all indicators that your voice needs a break. As with any other message your body sends, it’s important to listen and respond accordingly by giving your voice the rest it needs.

1. Clear your throat or cough aggressively: When you cough or clear your throat, you are essentially banging the vocal chords together in an attempt to remove an irritant. If done the wrong way, throat clearing and coughing can be considered a phonotraumatic behaviours which over time can lead to vocal injury. Healthy alternatives to a hard throat clear include swallowing, taking a sip of water or using a more gentle, light throat clear (think of the type of throat clear you use when trying to get someone’s attention in a subtle way).

2. Speak to the end of your breath: This occurs when you attempt to say too much on one breath and run out of air by the last few words. By the end of the sentence in order to continue voicing, you must squeeze and press. This habit can lead to vocal fatigue and soreness.

3. Shout or scream excessively: Avoid yelling when there is an alternative way of communicating. Instead of calling across the house, walk to the person and speak at a normal volume. If you need to communicate in a loud environment use proper projection techniques or use amplification.

4. Eat, drink or smoke substances that are damaging to your voice: Minimize coffee and alcohol intake as they both lead to dehydration which negatively impacts your voice. In terms of what to eat, avoiding spicy food and fried/fatty foods is a good place to start if your voice is often hoarse. These types of food can lead to acid reflux (a.k.a. heartburn) which can irritate and damage the vocal folds. Finally, inhaling any kind of smoke should be avoided in order to maintain optimal voice health.

When you start experiencing vocal fatigue or soreness, try following these tips to start improving your vocal hygiene. it is in your control to modify your behaviour to optimize your vocal health! Phonotraumatic behaviours and improper vocal techniques have the potential to negatively change your vocal quality and damage your vocal folds. Educating my clients about what they can do outside of the clinic to protect their voice is an essential part of voice therapy. Beyond education, improving your voice quality and stamina can be significantly improved by attending regular speech therapy sessions to support you as you identify bad habits and practice new techniques and strategies. Vocal hygiene is only one piece of the puzzle but it can be a game changer for individuals in vocally demanding fields. If you are a professional voice user looking to improve your technique and your vocal hygiene, book an initial consultation to learn more about how speech therapy can help you find your ideal voice and keep it healthy.

To speak with one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.