Tips For Caring For Your Voice

What to do to maintain healthy voice?

• Speak slowly and correctly, and articulating the words, but not overly so.

• Have normal hearing is important because the vocal monitoring is performed by the hearing, so if you have any concerns over your hearing get these looked at by a specialist.

• Feeling the urge to cough or clear your throat? Breathe deeply through your nose and swallow saliva several times or drink water.

• To reduce tension in the region of the shoulders and neck, yawn and stretch several times a day.

• After intense voice use, try to give yourself some vocal rest for a while. The ability to relax your voice when needed is vital when caring for your voice

The Enemy Of A Good Voice

• Cigarette and any kind of drugs irritate the lining of the vocal tract and increase the feeling of phlegm, also causing changes in the vocal folds.

• Alcohol should be avoided. In addition to irritating the lining of the vocal tract, alcohol has an anesthetic effect, which masks the sore throat. The spirits are more harmful than fermented drinks.

• Sprays, lozenges and drops also have anesthetic effect, masking symptoms and allowing the continuation of vocal abuse.

• Allergies are considered harmful to the voice. Substances such as smoke and dust should be avoided by people who tend to have allergies. Partaking in these can trigger an allergic reaction as they increase the body’s sensitivity  by decreasing the bodies defenses.

• Sudden changes in temperature are also harmful to voice. Cold or very hot beverages also produce thermal shock to the body.

What You Put In Your Body And Your Voice

• Drink plenty of water (at room temperature) while talking in small sips. A permanently hydrated body means vocal cords stay hydrated, this leads to more flexibility and better vibration. The ideal is to drink 7-8 cups per day, however, the color of urine (clear) can assist in the control of adequate hydration. When it comes to caring for your voice water is your friend.

• Think about maintaining a balanced diet without lots of time without eating. Also,  chew food well so they are easily digested.

• Eat apples, they are astringent and naturally clean the vocal tract. Also, chewing exercises the muscles responsible for the articulation of words.

• Drinks based on caffeine, soft drinks, fried foods and heavy, greasy or spicy foods can hinder digestion, causing gastroesophageal reflux. If you have a tendency to heartburn and indigestion, avoid these substances. The “burning” can reach the vocal folds and irritates them.

• People with a predisposition to vocal disorders should avoid chocolate, milk and dairy products before the intense voice use. These foods increase the secretion of mucus in the vocal tract, which induces the production of phlegm.

• Some medications interfere with vocal health. Avoid self-medication. Beware of homemade recipes (ginger, pomegranate, vinegar and garlic). There are no studies that prove the effectiveness of these products.

Your Environment And Caring For Your Voice

• Another important factor is the working environment. Discuss with your colleagues and bosses resources to provide a pleasant environment capable of reducing tension and promoting dialogue. A healthy voice is the result of individual care and tension free environment – wherever possible.

• Air-conditioned environments should be avoided. In this case, the cooling is done with reduced humidity, which dries out the lining of the vocal tract, damaging the voice.

• A noisy work environment, tension and stress will be harmful to a clear voice. They create laryngeal tension,  leading to vocal wear.

• Yelling is one of the most aggressive things that can happen to the larynx, because the moment you do this there is a “collision” between the vocal folds. For this reason, yelling should be avoided, only being used in moments of danger or survival.

• Singing without any technique or overly straining is another way to damage the voice. If you are not sure if you are using the right singing methods, look for courses that will help you get the best out of your singing voice. 

• Speaking during the voice exercise: any exercise muscular effort along with speech will cause overload in the laryngeal muscles.

Tips For Caring For Your Voice: Conclusion

Being free of tensions and maintaining proper breathing to speech, is the best way to get the most out of your voice and care for your voice for life. All moving parts of the mouth such as tongue, cheeks, lips, soft palate and jaw must be well placed, producing  the oral form of the vowels correctly. It is essential that there is harmony between breathing and articulation so that the voice placement is made naturally. If you really want your voice to be the clearest it can be or you want your a singer wanting to reach the high notes then learning how to use your voice properly is very important.
To learn about a course that will help improve vocal range   click here .