Wendy Stern, MD

Northeast Ear Nose and Throat Otorhinolaryngologist at St. Luke’s and Tobey hospitals
Massachusetts Society of Otolaryngology

During this election season, the significance of a candidate’s voice is both literal and figurative. The race for the White House reminds us that one single voice can influence a nation and change the course of history. It is with this spirit that Northeast Ear Nose and Throat and ENT physicians throughout the South Coast region and the country celebrated World Voice Day on April 16. The theme this year was “Let Your Voice Be Heard.”

The human voice is a powerful symbol of the right to communicate opinions and beliefs, but it is also a very physical part of everyday life. As candidates stump the campaign trail delivering speeches, talking one-on-one with voters, and giving countless interviews, they realize how critical it is to maintain proper vocal health.

Unfortunately, it is estimated that up to 7 million Americans suffer from some form of a voice disorder, which greatly affects their everyday lives and their ability to express themselves.

World Voice Day highlights the importance of our vocal health, especially for professionals who have built their careers and livelihood around their voices and depend on their voices to communicate effectively.

Here are some important tips to help conserve our indispensable voices and keep you in tip-top vocal shape:

• Drink plenty of water. Moisture is good for your voice. Hydration helps to keep thin secretions flowing to lubricate your vocal cords. When giving a speech or presentation, keep a bottle of water with you.
• Try not to scream or yell. The end of football season and beginning of Red Sox season may make this difficult, but these are abusive practices for your voice, and put great strain on the lining of the vocal cords.

• Warm up your voice before heavy use. Warm-ups can be simple, such as gently gliding from low to high tones on different vowel sounds, doing lip trills such as the “motor boat” sound that kids make or tongue trills.

• Use good breath support. Breath flow is what gives your voice its power. Take time to fill your lungs before starting to talk, and do not wait until you are almost out of air before taking another breath to power your voice.

• Use a microphone. When giving a speech or presentation, consider using a microphone to lessen the strain on your voice.

• Listen to your voice when it is complaining to you. Know that you need to modify and decrease your voice use if you become hoarse in order to allow your vocal cords to recover. Pushing your voice when it’s already gruff can lead to significant problems. If your voice is hoarse frequently, or for an extended period of time, you should be evaluated by an otolaryngologist also referred to as an ENT specialist, a physician trained to treat disorders of the ears, nose, and throat.  It is important to realize that sometimes poor voice is a sign of more important medical problem such as throat cancer.

• Quit smoking. Smoking can cause swelling of your vocal cords causing not only difficulty with your voice but also difficulty with swallowing.  It can also cause cancer of your throat.

Remember, your voice is your doorway to communication. Please take care of it.
Wendy Stern, MD
Northeast Ear Nose and Throat
Otorhinolaryngologist at St. Luke’s and Tobey hospitals
Massachusetts Society of Otolaryngology

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Southcoast Hospitals Group has a Voice Center at each of the three hospitals through its rehabilitation services department. For more information call your ENT and ask for a full diagnostic evaluation at the Voice Center.
Charlton Memorial Hospital
363 Highland Avenue
Fall River, MA 02740
508-679-7135
St. Luke's Hospital
101 Page Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
508-961-5460
Tobey Hospital
One Recovery Road
Wareham, MA 02571
508-291-3729
Or visit http://www.southcoast.org/rehab/services.html