How to Look After Your Voice

Your voice is unique and irreplaceable. It allows you to sing, tell stories, and communicate with others. People often cause strain to their voice without realizing it, either by shouting, whispering, or simply by breathing improperly. By avoiding certain ingredients, learning to improve your breathing, and making some changes to your environment, you’ll be able to properly look after your voice and be sure that your vocal cords stay healthy.

Method 1 - Using Your Voice Properly

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→ Reduce shouting. To protect your vocal cords and prevent changes to the sound of your voice, you will want to avoid shouting or screaming. When you raise your voice, your vocal cords come together forcefully, which can cause nodules to form over time. Shouting also causes increased strain to the muscles in your neck.

→ Use a microphone when necessary to the groups of large or loud crowds or to facilitate speeches and performances.

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→ Avoid whispering. Similar to when you shout, you put more pressure on your vocal cords when you whisper. Whispering strains your vocal cords and can cause damage over time. Instead of whispering, practice speaking in a soft voice.

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→ Drink water or suck on candy to clear your throat. Instead of coughing and clearing your throat, try drinking water or sucking on a sugar-free candy. Swallowing hard works, too. These can help clear your throat without causing the vocal strain that coughing and aggressive throat clearing cause.

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→ Avoid using your voice when it is hoarse. If you have lost your voice or have had a sore throat, it is important that you speak or sing as little as possible.

→ It is especially important that you rest your voice if you are sick. Illness puts extra strain on your voice, and talking or singing can put even more stress on your vocal cords. Over time, this can lead to unwanted changes in your voice.

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→ Gargle with salt water instead of mouthwash. If you use mouthwash, use it for rinsing your mouth only. Gargling with mouthwash in the back of your throat can be harmful to your vocal cords, as mouthwashes often contain alcohol and other irritating chemicals.

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→ Avoid speaking while lifting heavy objects. If you are lifting heavy objects or straining your neck, wait until you are finished to speak. Talking while straining your neck can cause unnecessary stress on your voice.

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→ Take time to relax. Since your voice is part of the muscular system of your body, tension in your body can negatively impact your voice. Make some time to integrate relaxation techniques and relaxing hobbies into your life. Doing so will help you to use your vocal cords in a way that doesn’t cause damage.

→ Some ideas for relaxing activities include walking, swimming, doing yoga, and meditating.

→ You also want to be sure that you are getting enough sleep at night—between 6 and 8 hours. Sleep recharges your body as well as your voices, and being sleep deprived  can cause your voice to become more easily fatigued and strained.

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→ Practice belly breathing techniques. Belly breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing, is a method of deep breathing that allows your body to receive more oxygen with each breath. Learning good breathing patterns helps you to have a strong voice without having to strain. To practice belly breathing, sit or stand up straight with your shoulders pulled back. Put one hand on your stomach, and breathe in through your mouth. You should feel your stomach push out against your hand. Then, slowly breathe out through your mouth. As you breathe out, you should pull your stomach back in. Repeat this 5 times, as often as you wish. It will start to feel more natural with practice. You can also try these breathing exercises to improve your voice:

→ Sit up straight in a chair, and breathe in through your nose. Breathe out slowly through your nose, and begin to make a humming sound (“hmmmm”). You should feel the sound vibrating in your nose. The sound should be coming from your nose, not your throat.

→ Lie on your back, and place a small book on top of your stomach. Breathe in through your mouth. The book should rise up as you inhale. Breathe out slowly through pursed lips. The book should lower as you exhale.

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→ Look into voice therapy to treat repeated hoarseness. Voice therapy can be used to treat both general hoarseness and vocal fold lesions including nodules, polyps, and cysts. Look into a voice therapy practitioner in your area to learn how to better use your voice and prevent the kind of damage that causes repeated and chronic hoarseness.

Method 2 - Being Mindful of What You Consume

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→ Stop smoking. Quitting smoking is one of the most important factors in looking after your voice. The tar and heat inhaled while smoking cause your vocal cords to become inflamed, dry, and swollen. Smoking causes hoarseness and a deeper vocal pitch.

→ Smoking cigarettes is the primary cause of throat cancer. If you are a smoker or if you are frequently exposed to second-hand smoke and your voice is becoming hoarse, you should make an appointment with an otolaryngologist to be sure you do not have throat cancer.

→ If you are in the U.S., you can call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to be connected with stop-smoking resources in your area.

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→ Limit your caffeine intake. To prevent your vocal cords and larynx from becoming dry, you will want to limit how much caffeine you consume. Caffeine dehydrates your body, including your vocal cords.

→ Try substituting a caffeine-free tea or warm water with lemon and honey for coffee. This will give you the pleasantness of a warm drink without the caffeine.

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→ Limit how much alcohol you drink. While alcohol in moderation isn’t problematic for your vocal cords, excessive drinking can dry them out and cause voice changes over time. If you drink, try to limit your alcohol intake and avoid binge drinking. At least one day every week should be entirely free from alcohol.

→ A moderate consumption of alcohol means up to one drink per day for women of all ages, and up to two drinks per day for men up to age 65. Men over age 65 should also limit their consumption to one drink per day.

→ You may also want to limit your exposure to mouthwash that contains alcohol, as such alcohol can be absorbed and have caustic effects.

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→ Beware of spicy foods. Eating spicy foods may cause stomach acid to move into the throat, which can cause heartburn or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). Spicy foods affect each person differently, so you can experiment to see which foods cause you to have heartburn and which ones have no effect. Those that cause heartburn are likely causing acid to move into the throat and esophagus and therefore should be avoided.

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→ Drink plenty of fluids. Keeping your vocal cords hydrated is very important. Be sure to always drink when you are thirsty. Try carrying a water bottle around with you wherever you go to remind you to take sips throughout the day.

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→ Eat foods with vitamins A, E, C. Foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables contain these vitamins, which help to keep the mucous membranes in your throat healthy.

Method 3 - Improving Your Environment

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→ Use a humidifier. Dry environments or dusty air can cause the mucous membranes in your throat to dry out. Over time, this can result in changes to your voice. If you are spending time in a dry environment, or one with central heating or air conditioning, you may want to purchase a humidifier.

→ The recommended amount of humidity in the air you breathe is 30%.

→ In the winter time, and in climates that are dry in general, humidifiers are very important for keeping your vocal cords lubricated and moist.

→ Another way to hydrate and soothe dry, irritated vocal cords is by inhaling steam. Fill up a large bowl or kettle with boiled water, and add some chamomile flowers if you’d like. Then, sit with your face over the bowl—if the water is too hot, let it cool for a few minutes first. Cover your head and shoulders with a towel, and breathe in and out through your mouth. After inhaling the steam, avoid talking for about thirty minutes. This will let the newly hydrated mucous membranes rest.

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→ Reduce background noise. People often speak louder than they realize due to excessive background noise. To avoid shouting that can damage your voice, consider moving your conversation to a quieter location if you plan to talk a lot. If you are at home, turn off the TV or music while talking so that you can speak more softly and still be heard.