Vocal Health Part 3: Keeping your Voice Healthy

Vocal Health and You Lesson 3: Keeping your Voice Healthy

EQ: How can we keep our vocal folds healthy?

 

How to keep your vocal folds healthy:

• • Take care of yourself.
    • Maintain a healthy diet, regular exercise, regular sleep schedule, positive mental health
  • Drink lots of water.
  • Sing and use your voice the proper and healthy way.
    
    • It should never hurt before, during, or after singing!
      • Do not push further than is comfortable physically
    • Don’t shout or talk too loud that you overuse or cause damage to your voice.

 

Things we do that are not healthy for our vocal cords:

• • Not enough sleep
  • Dehydrating foods and beverages
    • Caffeine, dairy, chocolate, alcohol
  • Smoking
  • Misuse
    • Screaming
    • Singing when your throat is sore
    • Pushing your voice past comfort levels I
      • It should never hurt before, during, or after singing!
  • Overuse can cause vocal fatigue
    • Talk too loud.
    • Sing too much (yes that can happen).
    • Shout
    • Just like any other part of your body if you overwork it you will be sore and can possibly cause lasting damage to the voice.

 

Issues that can occur from not taking care of your vocal folds:

• • There are many things that can go wrong with your vocal folds.
  • The most common are vocal nodules that occur on the edges of the vocal folds.  
    • These nodules will look like calluses that cause pain and irritation when singing or speaking for a period of time. 
    • If not treated this could lead to an inability to sing.

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• • Not taking care of your whole body will also affect your voice.
  • Sickness can have lasting and sometimes permanent damage to to your vocal folds.