Before seeing why voice hygiene is so important, we must look more closely at what it is.
Vocal hygiene is a set of good habits to adopt that help people to have a healthy and clear-sounding voice. It also prevents potential vocal problems or the worsening of problems where they are already present.
You might wonder, why should I take care of my voice, even if I am not a singer or an actor?
If we think about it, the voice is a tool that we use daily. Not only do we need it to communicate our needs, but we also use it socially to share our feelings and express our opinions. For the above reason, contrary to what some people think, vocal hygiene is not only for those who work with their voice, but it’s for everyone!
Let’s dive deeper into what good habits we should follow and what bad habits to avoid.
Vocal hygiene habits can be divided into four fundamental areas:
1. Voice mechanism education
promote diaphragmatic-abdominal breathing
monitor our loudness when we speak in daily conversations
avoid tiring out your voice and having long-lasting conversations; if not possible (e.g. for job-related voice use) then prioritise vocal rest
avoid using whispering voice
2. Decreasing phonotraumatic behaviours
avoid cheering and screaming
avoid throat-clearing
avoid speaking over background noise and/or in places with poor air quality (e.g. very dusty environments) or with unfavourable acoustic characteristics
avoid unconventional voice production (e.g. doing character voices)
3. Improving hydration
remember to drink water during the day, in particular, when speaking in long-lasting conversation
use a humidifier at home and at work to prevent dry air
4. Enhancing lifestyle issues:
eliminate the use of tobacco, alcohol, recreational drugs and caffeinated beverages
adopt a rich and balanced diet, especially for those suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (1)
practice good sleeping habits
reduce medications, where possible.
(1) In gastroesophageal reflux disease, stomach contents (including acid and bile) rise from the stomach into the esophagus, causing inflammation and pain in the lower chest. Other symptoms include heartburn, cough, post-nasal drip, difficulty swallowing, and even excessive erosion of tooth enamel.
Bibliography
Behlau, M., & Oliveira, G. (2009). Vocal hygiene for the voice professional. Current opinion in otolaryngology & head and neck surgery, 17(3), 149–154.
https://doi.org/10.1097/MOO.0b013e32832af105
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