Ways to Help your Voice. AVOID… DO More than 4 caffeinated drinks a day: alcohol and fizzy drinks Drink lots of water or diluted juice Talking in noisy environments and ‘pushing’ your voice Use your voice in a relaxed, easy way. Monitor it if feels strained and rest it when possible. Throat-clearing Swallow or take a sip of water if you feel a sensation in your throat Continuing to speak when the breath has ran-out Be aware of your breathing. Ideally your shoulders and chest should be relaxed and your breathing deep from your diaphragm Holding tension in your shoulders, neck and jaw Notice if you are holding tension in the body and try and release it. Just taking some deep breaths can do this. Medicated throat lozenges, these can be drying Suck sweets or chew chewing-gum in your mouth and throat feel dry. Inhale plain steam to moisten the back of the throat. How to contact us Speech and Language Therapy Departments Office hours: Monday-Friday 9am - 4.30pm University Hospital of North Durham Telephone: 0191 3332591 Darlington Memorial Hospital Telephone: 01325 743152 Useful contacts Contact details Central Appointments Bureau Speech & Language Therapy Bishop Auckland General Hospital Cockton Hill Road Bishop Auckland County Durham Tel: 01388 455200 Let us know your thoughts, Date Published: May 2017 Date of Review: May 2020 Responsibility: Speech & Language Therapy Reference No: PIL/CG/0495 Version: 1 Voice Problems (Dysphonia) Information Leaflet What is dysphonia? Air from the lungs is the power supply for the voice. The vocal folds (vocal cords) sit within the larynx. At rest they sit open and as air passes through them they come together, vibrate and make sound. We shape this sound with our mouth, lips and tongue to make words.
Although most changes in voice quality occur because of poor voice production, simple throat infection or irritation, occasionally hoarseness may be the 1st sign of a more serious disease, such as cancer. Dysphonia is a voice disorder, symptoms may include the following:- Voice loss A change in voice quality e.g., hoarseness, squeaky, breathy, husky, strained Voice breaks, pitch breaks Pitch change Weak effortful voicing · Associated symptoms: Throat discomfort e.g. dryness, tightness, ache, feeling of a lump, painful to voice Throat-clearing Voice fatigue · The impact of voice disorder can be very significant: Voice cannot be heard Unable to project voice or sing Lack of clarity in voice Voice is unpredictable and unreliable People comment “what’s wrong with your voice?” Difficulty speaking on the phone and above background noise or from another room Less out-going, withdrawal, auditing conversation Loss of confidence in speaking Embarrassment, frustration, distress Loss of income, sick leave, job loss Did you know approximately 1/3 of people working in the UK today depend on their voices to do their work? People like teachers, doctors, call-centre workers, sales staff, singers and actors. What to do: Report you symptoms to your GP. Your GP may refer you to an ENT specialist to examine your larynx, diagnose the problem and possibly provide medication. ENT may refer you to other specialists for further diagnosis or treatment where necessary. Common voice problems: Muscle tension in the vocal muscles Changes to the structure of the vocal folds e.g. nodules or polyp Referral to a joint ENT-SALT voice assessment clinic is highly desirable for the following reasons: Gold standard instrumentation for accurate diagnosis is available Visual feedback to patients Expert opinion from an ENT consultant and specialist voice therapist Following laryngeal examination; voice therapy may be indicated. A speech and language therapist will help you understand your voice problem, how voice works, how to protect it from strain and use it efficiently. Treatment may include vocal exercises to ensure optimum tension for normal voicing, physical therapy on the voice box and individual discussion about voice specific issues may be necessary. Voice therapy focuses on identifying and reducing contributory factors to a voice problem. Usually 2-6 sessions are required depending on severity of the problem and response to treatment. Seeking advice as early as possible can avoid months of vocal stress.