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The Primetime morning interview

Nancy Ang, nancyang@mediacorp.com.sg

When you think about it, your voice is really a critical tool of communication but most people tend not to give it much thought unless they use it professionally on a daily basis. Or until they start to lose their voice or get it all hoarse and scratchy.

There is however, one day each year when the voice goes under the spotlight. I’m talking about World Voice Day every April 16, which health professionals have marked since 2002.

This year’s theme is “Invest In Your Voice”. The idea is a good one — taking the time to listen to our voice, instead of others’ for a change. Ideally though, paying close attention to our voice is something we should do every day, especially since our vocal cords can be damaged so easily.

As Dr Paul Mok, a Voice Specialist from Alexandra Hospital said in an interview with Primetime Morning, “people don’t realise that our vocal folds can vibrate many times in a single second. The more we shout, strain or abuse the voice, the faster the vocal cords will slam against each other, resulting in a swollen and inflamed throat”.

He added, “Most times, if you lose your voice, it will come back within 48 to 72 hours. But if the problem that causes the voice to degenerate continues, there’s no chance for recovery and irreversible changes can happen to the vocal folds such as scarring, permanently dilated blood vessels and so on.”

A scary scenario but something we can avoid. After all, the problem does not lie in how much we talk, but the way we talk and whether we practise good vocal habits. That’s good news surely, for heavy users of the voice such as singers, teachers, television hosts, actors and lawyers.

For this group, speech therapist Kristen Linnemeyer, also from Alexandra Hospital, recommends doing frequent vocal exercises such as the tongue trill or lip roll as effective ways to warm up the voice and keep it in good condition. She also teaches her patients how to relax their neck muscles so physical massage can be done on the throat.

She said, “The most important thing is to be in tune to your voice, how it sounds and how it feels. Most people get into trouble with their voice when they try to force and overcome what’s naturally going on.”

This means that if you’re already down with the flu and sore throat, there can be no instant cure. The body will need time to heal. The key is to rest, drink plenty of fluids and stay away from smoke to avoid inflaming the throat.

So love our voice or hate the sound of it, it’s going to be our only one. And if we shower it with care and provide good maintenance, well, it will let us speak up for a lifetime.

From WEEKEND TODAY, Plus – 18, 19-April-2009