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Home
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Mind Your Voice
by A. Ross
Many people suffer from hoarseness at some time or another,
particularly teachers, and sometimes mothers, as a result of
straining their vocal chords. In fact, losing one's voice, or
damaging it, seems to be an occupational hazard among
teachers. Particularly, near the beginning of term, a teacher
might feel hoarse, and usually s/he ignores this.
Unfortunately, if the warning is ignored and the sufferer
continues to strain the voice, s/he will lose it all
together.
They teach the girls so much in all the seminaries, but they
do not teach them how to speak. A speech therapist, or a
voice elocutionist, will teach you how to use your voice
effortlessly, and how to breathe correctly, thus avoiding
possible nodules (wart-like growths) on the vocal chords, and
general strain to the larynx. Singers learn how to project
their voices without strain, as part of their training. More
and more public speakers take a course in voice training, so
that they are able to give several consecutive lectures
without harming their voices.
Grandmother's remedy for a sore throat (Bubbemycin),
consisting of egg yolk and sugar into a cup of hot milk,
should not be sneered at. The conventional way of treating a
lost voice is complete rest. No attempt at speech at all for
a few days and then for some weeks, short whispers till the
chords recover.
A short case history of a young teacher, who is not so young
any more now, should suffice as an example of the misuse of a
voice. She had been teaching in elementary school for about
five years. She enlivened the day for her young charges with
her pleasant singing voice, but found that with increasing
frequency, she could not quite reach the high notes, but by
dint of raising her voice, she managed, somehow or other.
Her voice was by now slightly rasping and one day when she
was unable to speak above a whisper, she went to see a throat
specialist. He examined her and asked why she had neglected
her throat for so long. If she had come sooner, she could
have prevented most of the damage by simple exercises. The
only way he could help her now was to operate on the vocal
chords. In answer to her questions, he explained that one
side was weakened because she had over stretched the chords
by trying to reach high notes while singing. The other side
was full of polyps, or nodules as they are called, which
could only be removed surgically. He added pessimistically
that there was no guarantee of success, and unless she went
to a speech therapist immediately, the nodules would
return.
The operation was 100 percent successful; however, her
pleasant voice did not return to her after the compulsory
period of rest. She went to a speech therapist and did her
exercises, including breathing exercises, religiously,
between visits. Now, almost two years later, she admits that
she should have gone to see the specialist much earlier, but
rejoices in the fact that she can now speak (not sing) for
hours, without any strain. She urges anyone who is hoarse
frequently, even mothers, perhaps, who have raised their
voices too often to control their unruly children, to go and
see an E.N.T specialist. A stitch in time saves nine!
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