As seen in the previous article, one of the four areas of vocal hygiene is hydration: in this article, we will discover different ways to hydrate and why it is so important for having a good quality voice!
Hydration can be described as an adequate level of water in the body and it is strongly recommended to always maintain a sufficient level. This is because water is a fundamental component of our health and it allows us to carry out many activities. For that reason, we always have to intake enough water to help our organs to perform at its best.
What about vocal folds? Frequent rehydration is required not only to maintain regular phonatory function but also to prevent vocal fold lesions. Producing voice/ making sound with our vocal folds Voicing, depending on the vocal demand, may be considered a high-intensity and, long-endurance muscle action*. As a result, the vocal mechanism and the voice have been reported to be especially susceptible to dehydration.
*Making sounds with our vocal folds, depending on the vocal demand, may be considered a high-intensity action that requires strong muscular endurance.
When we speak about hydration we can refer to:
Systemic hydration
Superficial (or surface) hydration
The most common of the two is, for sure, systemic hydration, which refers to general body hydration that keeps mucosal tissues healthy. This type is the easiest and most cost-effective solution to improve voice quality so far. It is achieved by ingesting fluids, with the typical recommendation of eight glasses of water per day.
The second one, superficial hydration, refers to the moisture level that keeps the epithelial surface of the vocal folds healthy and pliable. This is accomplished by inhaling steam/ moisturised air through humidifiers and inhalers.
Evidently, the first type of hydration is the simplest one but it takes a long time because the water can’t directly touch directly the vocal folds. Systemic hydration can only indirectly hydrate our glottic plane. For that reason, to overcome this limit we have to take into account superficial hydration, which has a more direct approach.
So which is the best way to hydrate our vocal folds?
The best way is to find the right balance between the two: continue to drink water, paying attention to reaching the suggested hydration level specific to us, and combine it with superficial hydration. We encourage you to start using humidifiers and inhalers (please do not abuse when using fragrances and avoid the ones with a strong smell, e.g. mint)
Bibliography:
Alves, M., Krüger, E., Pillay, B., van Lierde, K., & van der Linde, J. (2019). The Effect of Hydration on Voice Quality in Adults: A Systematic Review. Journal of voice: official journal of the Voice Foundation, 33(1), 125.e13–125.e28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2017.10.001
Borragan, M., Mediavilla, B. G., Legina, M. A., Fernandez, M. J. G., Strangis, D., Fantini, M., Maccarini, A. R., & Torre, A. B. (2021). Nasal Breathing Through a Damp Gauze Enhances Surface Hydration of the Vocal Folds and Optimizes Vocal Function. Journal of voice: official journal of the Voice Foundation, S0892-1997(21)00213-7. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2021.06.023
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