Ways to Keep Your Voice Healthy and Strong

Whether it's at work, taking care of a busy family, or
talking to your mom on the phone, we use our voices all the time. Most of us
don't even give our voices much thought until we temporarily lose them due to
illness.
Your voice plays a vital role in your daily life, but it's
easy to take it for granted, says ear, nose, and throat specialist Michael
Benninger, MD.
We often lose our voice after a bad cold that progresses to
laryngitis, which can be accompanied by a severe cough and hoarseness. Most of
the time, our voice recovers after a few days. But every once in a while the
hoarseness doesn't go away, resulting in a deep, hoarse voice and eventually
damaging our vocal cords. Rest can often solve this problem, but because our
lives have to go on—conference calls, soccer games, and happy hours in noisy
bars—the hoarseness can persist. techiescity
Temporary hoarseness occurs in almost everyone, and nearly
20% of the US population has some degree of chronic voice dysfunction. This number
is considerably worse in voice-intensive occupations. Teachers report voice
problems 60% of the time in their lives and 11% at all times.
Remember that your general health will have a lot to do with
your vocal health. People who eat right, watch their weight, minimize alcohol
consumption, and exercise will have the stamina and strength to hold their
voices.
To preserve and protect your voice, Dr. Benninger suggests
these simple tips to keep your ear canals healthy:
Listen to yourself. Hoarseness can indicate something as
simple as allergies or as severe as laryngeal cancer. If your hoarseness lasts
more than a few weeks, especially if you smoke or don't have other cold
symptoms, make an appointment with a voice specialist. Take care of your voice.
If your voice is hoarse or your throat begins to scratch from overuse, rest
your voice as much as possible and drink water to help lubricate your vocal
cords.
Quit smoking forever. Tobacco, nicotine, chemicals, and
inhaled heat can create inflammation and swelling and cause cancer in the
mouth, nose, throat, and lungs. Stop chewing and stop smoking. It is terrible
for your health in the short and long term. techiesin