written by Julie A. Milian, Student Clinician, FIU
Why are Speech Language Pathologists and teachers at greater risk for voice disorders?
“Over 3 million teachers in the United States use their voice as a primary tool of trade and are thought to be at higher risk for occupation-related voice disorders than the general population. Teachers are often required to speak loudly in noisy classrooms for long periods without much time to rest or recover”. Roy et al.:
Prevalence of Voice Disorders in Teachers and the General Population
How to Prevent Voice Disorders
How can certain types of food and beverages affect voice production.
We all love coffee, chocolate alcohol or spicy foods; don’t we? They somehow increase the risk of backflow of stomach fluids going to the voice box. Food as the ones mentioned before can increase stomach acid fluids. This production of acid fluids going to the voice box will increase the risk of causing reflux laryngitis. Do you know that you can “dry out” your vocal folds? Yes, caffeine and alcohol play a role on drying out the vocal folds which will contribute to voice problems.
Avoidance of Voice Overuse/Misuse/Abuse
-Voice Rest: plan short periods of voice rest throughout the day. No shriek with the radio
-Diet: avoid caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, and spicy foods
-Proper hydration: drink plenty of water (NO gas water)
-Cherish your voice: avoid stressful situations. If you are anxious or nervous your voice box will constrict. Take a deep breath through the nose it will help you to relax your voice box.
-Throat clearing: Don’t make it a habit. It can be a sign of backflow of stomach fluids to the voice box. If you are experiencing this symptom visit your doctor. Instead get sips of water to remove the excess of mucous from the vocal folds.
Questions to Ponder
How do certain types of food and beverages affect voice production?
What role does water play in voice prevention?
How could you avoid voice Overuse/Misuse/Abuse?
References
Ray, Nelson, et al. “Prevalence of Voice Disorders in Teachers and the General Population.” Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 47.2 (Apr. 2004): 281-293. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Web. 15 Feb. 2010.
http://www.voiceproblem.org/diagnosistreatments/prevention/index.asp
