Have you ever wondered how our voice, which plays a crucial role in our lives, is produced? It’s produced by a structure named larynx, situated in the throat region – the larynx has two bands of tissue named vocal folds. The air from the lungs and the nerve supply from the brain helps the vocal folds vibrate to produce voice. The vocal folds vibrate approximately 80-120 times per second in males and 180-240 times per second in females.
When our voice is so important, are we taking proper care to keep our voice and vocal folds safe?
On the occasion of World Voice Day, which is observed on April 16, experts at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) in Mysuru have been advocating care and precautions for keeping the voice and vocal folds secure.
The AIISH has been addressing patients who wish to improve their voice quality. Teachers or singers who damage their voice due to several reasons can undergo voice assessment at affordable cost besides behavioural voice treatment, if required at AIISH after a thorough assessment by a specialised team comprising ENT doctors and speech language pathologists who are experienced in handling patients with voice-related issues.
“Voice disorder or dysphonia happens if we continue to abuse or misuse voice. It is nothing but a change in a person’s voice quality which is significantly different from others of similar age, gender, social background, and having difficulty fulfilling his/her personal, social and occupational demands. The other major reasons for voice disorder include excessive smoking, alcohol consumption, tumour, acid reflux, infections, neurological conditions, and psychological stress,” explain R. Rajasudhakar, Associate Professor and Devika Vijayan, a Junior Research Fellow, Department of Speech Language Sciences, AIISH, Mysuru.
Voice Care
To remind us about the importance of voice, and to protect voice, April 16 is celebrated as the World Voice Day. The theme for this year is, “Empower Your Voice,” the theme of this year’s World Voice Day, they said, in a write-up on “voice care” to spread awareness on the importance of voice health and the precautions to be taken.
Vocal naps
To protect your voice, they said one can start drinking at least two to three litres of water every day – not all at once, but intermittently. “Do not let your throat dry. Just like how you take power naps when you’re physically tired, give your voice some rest too – take vocal naps when you’ve been using your voice for a longer time,” advice Dr. Rajasudhakar and Ms. Devika Vijayan.
Speaking at comfortable loudness, paying attention to your body’s signals, taking adequate physical and voice rest when needed are key for keeping one’s voice in good health, they add.
Published – April 15, 2025 07:18 pm IST