| Coaches rely heavily on their voice to service | | | | crying,laughing, and throat clearing could do the |
| clients. | | | | same damage? |
| If you also give teleclasses or workshops, | | | | Emotional or environmental stress also causes |
| voicemaintenance needs to be one of their top | | | | voicestrain. Especially major changes like |
| self-carepriorities. This information also applies to | | | | separation/divorce, new job, kids going off to |
| singers,speakers, or sales professionals. | | | | college, grieving,not enough sleep, moving, and |
| During flu and cold season, vocal cords become | | | | even hormonal changes inadolescents or maturing |
| highlysensitized and need as much care as a | | | | adults. If you add any ofthese with the need for |
| valuableinstrument. Think of your voice, and we | | | | a quality voice, you will needto take extra care in |
| should, as anexpensive, rare violin. If you were | | | | order not to bruise or damageyour throat center |
| going to play theviolin the next day -- same | | | | or vocal cords. |
| relation as having aspeaking engagement or a full | | | | Voice Maintenance |
| day of coaching -- youwouldn't expose that violin | | | | When experiencing laryngitis, limit |
| to a night in a smokefilled room, lay cigars or pour | | | | unnecessarytalking, and pause frequently to |
| alcohol all over it andexpect it not to suffer from | | | | swallow and remoistenyour throat, even during |
| the abuse the next day. | | | | speaking engagements. |
| Antibiotics don't help viral infections or laryngitis | | | | Relaxation techniques, like yoga always help, |
| -- a common result from a viral infection caused | | | | yetconscious aware of your posture and |
| from acold or flu. Recently, I suffered got the flu | | | | breathing duringspeaking can save or further |
| andsuffered from a severe case of laryngitis. I | | | | bruise voice projectionespecially if your voice is |
| had tocancel a teleclass, lose a week of work, | | | | weak from a cold. |
| and almost apaid speaking engagement. The more | | | | One of my favorite exercises that I do every |
| I self-treatedthrough media knowledge or | | | | morning orwhile driving to a speaking engagement |
| recommendations, the worsethe laryngitis got. | | | | is a vowelreview. Stretch your neck comfortable |
| It took over 20 days before I improved and then | | | | upwards andrecite the vowels -- a, e, i, o, u. Let |
| twoweeks later, it returned. After great | | | | your voweltrail off after each one especially the |
| frustration, Ifinally visited my ear, nose, and | | | | "u." Ifexperiencing laryngitis avoid whispering. |
| throat specialist,only to learn that everything I | | | | Whisperingactually stresses vocal cords reducing |
| was trying was actuallycontributing the extended | | | | recoverysignificantly. If you smoke or visit |
| suffering. Let me pass alongsome of my learning | | | | smoke-filledrooms, triple your maintenance plan, |
| so you don't need to go throughthis. Like me, | | | | smoke is verydamaging. |
| some of it will surprise you. | | | | If you lose your voice, you will require |
| Food and Beverages | | | | additionalrest time over a 4-7 day period. This |
| Warm or hot beverages work best. Cold | | | | means limitingyour voice to 15 minutes a day. |
| beverages withice produces the voice center to | | | | Looking on the brightside, listening skills will |
| spasm generatingcoughing that results in laryngitis. | | | | definitely improve. Keepphone calls brief; avoid all |
| Stick to drinkingroom temperature water. | | | | non-speech voice use,including throat clearing, |
| Black Currant Pastilles, which are | | | | coughing, and sneezing orany odd sound effects. |
| glycerin-containinglozenges for adults, keeps the | | | | Snoring also doubles strain. |
| throat moist. Pastillesare perfect to take before, | | | | Over-the-Counter |
| during, and after flying ortraveling from one | | | | Even though they give brief relief, throat sprays |
| temperature extreme to another, say | | | | andmedicated lozenges dry the throat and extend |
| New York to Florida in winter. It is good to | | | | recovery. |
| havethese on hand since they are difficult to find. | | | | If used for an emergency, you must follow with |
| Manyprofessional singers use Black Currant | | | | extremecare. |
| Pastilles 24hours before their performance. | | | | Herbs can also cause side effects. You will want |
| Avoid anything with mint or menthol. | | | | todiscuss their use with your doctor or |
| Throat Coat® Tea, designed specifically for | | | | herbpractitioner. Herbs like barberry reduce |
| voiceprofessionals, is rated higher than Pastilles. | | | | inflammationand infection caused from respiratory |
| The teacontains licorice root, which is widely used | | | | infections, butcan also cause an allergic reaction |
| to enhancethroat and upper respiratory tract | | | | especially ifalready using another remedy. Herbs |
| health. Anybeverage that affects your stomachs | | | | like eucalyptus, |
| acid level, likecaffeine, will also affect your vocal | | | | German chamomile, goldenrod, goldenseal, |
| cords. Caffeineis a mild diuretic and dries the | | | | licorice,marshmallow, peppermint, saw palmetto, |
| throat and vocalcords. Coffee, including decaf, due | | | | or slippery elmare remedies for vocal cord |
| to its naturaloils causes acidic results that cause | | | | inflections. Adding garlicand ginger to your foods |
| vocal damage. | | | | also reduce cold symptomsincluding sore throat |
| This includes chocolate. If you suffer from | | | | and don't need professionaladvice. |
| acidreflux disease, you need to take extra care | | | | Support Team |
| of yourvoice since it cause permanent damage. | | | | If your voice is vital to your income, you will want |
| Sodas alsocause acid reflux and damages vocal | | | | tohave an ear, nose, and throat physician familiar |
| cords. | | | | withyour medical history and working with singers. |
| With a cold or flu, we usually drink orange juice. | | | | With anongoing relationship, it's easier for them to |
| This acidic beverage actually lengthens laryngitis. | | | | provideadvice when out of the area. |
| Sodoes the amount of lemon you use in water. A | | | | Last year, while experiencing a mild case |
| tiny bitof lemon in warm water with a small | | | | oflaryngitis, I saw my doctor before I left for |
| amount of honey isa great elixir that actually | | | | aspeaking engagement but I didn't know to |
| smoothes the vocal cords. | | | | mentioned Iwas traveling to a high elevation. By |
| Dairy increases throat mucus for some people. If | | | | the time Ichecked in at the hotel, I was in bad |
| afteryou drink milk, you feel even a little mucus in | | | | shape. Anemergency call and I was armed with |
| yourthroat, you probably have a very mild milk | | | | new instructions. |
| allergy. | | | | The next morning I was fine. Did you know that |
| This will affect your vocal health and can | | | | mosttaxi companies will pick up and deliver |
| lengthlaryngitis. Nuts have the same allergy affect. | | | | called-inprescriptions usually at the same rate as a |
| Common Causes of Voice Strain | | | | cab ride? |
| It's common knowledge that shouting, screaming, | | | | (c) Copyright 2005, Catherine Franz. All |
| andexcessive talking strains voice cords. But, did | | | | rightsreserved. |
| youknow that whispering, coughing, loud sneezing, | | | | |