ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VOCAL ABUSE / VOCAL LOAD

Vocal fatigue or worn-out voice

Vocal fatigue may have the following manifestations:

• Mildly breathy voice
• Gritty voice;
• Stiff vocal muscles that restrict the vocal cords’ movement.
• Occasionally, redness and swelling of the larynx.
• It may deteriorate to sore throat, weak voice, voice-generating difficulties, unwillingness to sing or speak, etc.
• Over time, there may be complications such as lesions on the vocal cords or incomplete vocal fold closure.

How to maintain vocal health and protect yourself from vocal fatigue?

• Make sure to drink enough water throughout the day and throughout your vocal efforts.
• Have a suitable diet, especially before and after a vocal effort.
• Have a vocal rest before and after a vocal effort.
• Make sure to have a sufficient amount of night sleep.
• Make sure to perform vocal warm-up exercises before a vocal effort.
• Make sure to perform vocal release exercises after a vocal effort.

How healthy speech technique can prevent vocal fatigue?

Clear speaking, particularly correct pronunciation, contributes to vocal quality and health and decreases vocal folds load.

• You must avoid speaking too quickly or loudly, or in unnatural and uncomfortable tones.
• A major means of pronouncing words with a minimum effort is a clear and precise diction.
• Make sure to speak fluently, without abrupt stops at the consonants.
• Make sure to speak naturally, while accurately pronouncing the consonants and vowels.
• A lazy speech will result in a vague pronunciation, requiring an unnecessary pressure on your vocal cords. By contrast, a sufficiently intense use of your speech organs, such as your tongue, palate, lips, and other vocal muscles will thrush your voice into the air with a momentum.
• A proper diction will enrich the sound of your words and increase their resonance. A clear pronunciation will also contribute to your vocal hygiene.

Precise diction exercises which will prevent vocal fatigue and worn-out voice:

• Recite a text with your ordinary speaking tone, clearly and aloud, but not too loudly, at a moderate pace. Most importantly, it should be steady.
• If you suffer speaking difficulties and discomfort, you should consult voice specialists, such as vocal coach and speech therapists who teach you exercise for strengthening your vocal organs. For example, they could instruct you on palate, tongue core muscles, and diaphragm exercises, and encourage you to use front resonance.

Finally, we recommend exercising with TPV device, as a means of preventing vocal fatigue as well as a general treatment of hoarseness. It affects your vocal cords like a combination of a gym room and a sauna.

Using it will increase the strength and flexibility of your vocal cords and make them acquire correct working patterns. This will allow you a healthy vocal performance, with maximum vocal intensity at a minimum effort.

Good Luck,

Talya,

A TMRG specialist