World Voice Day is an event celebrated worldwide on the 16th of April to create awareness and recognition of the human voice. It serves to remind us all of the importance of the human voice is and to highlight how necessary it is for the voice to be fully functioning in every aspect of our day to day lives – at work, home, in school and social scenarios.
However a lot of people abuse their voice in different ways, often without realising that they are doing any damage. Abusive behaviours include smoking, shouting, drinking alcohol (as it dehydrates the vocal chords) too much throat clearing, lack of sleep or a bad speaking technique. This repetitive abuse and damage to the voice can lead to worse problems if they are not addressed.
Here are some warning signs that may indicate an unhealthy voice:
Raspy or hoarse voice
Loss of voice
Throat that feels strained or sore
Takes a lot more effort to talk
Change in singing ability
Repetitive throat clearing
If the above problems are recurrent or persist over a period of time they should not be ignored and treatment with a professional should be sought.
World Voice Day promotes good vocal hygiene and emphasises the importance of preventative care for the protection of the human voice. If you want to take care of your voice Spectrum Health Speech and Language Therapists offer education and training on the proper use of the voice and prevention of vocal abuse and also provide treatment and therapy for a variety of voice problems. Please click here if you would like an appointment.
Happy World Voice Day!
