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World Voice Day

Let your voice be heard

Prof Dr M Alamgir Chowdhury
Although the voice is used as an everyday basis of speech, most people realise its importance only when a voice problem arises. Increasing public awareness of the importance of the voice and alertness to voice problems are the main goals of the World Voice Day, which is celebrated yearly on April 16th.
The aim of the day is to raise awareness among the people about the importance of voice and voice disorders, plus methods of voice preservation and enhancement The message, "Let your voice be heard' prompts us to consider ways to preserve and protect our voices.
The voice is a window to the soul. The voice can reveal moods, age or illness. We can be charmed by someone's voice; the voice can be used to calm, but also to provoke or scare. Many abuse their voice by smoking, shouting, drinking, or poor speaking technique. When problems occur, treatment is often ignored, leading to more significant problems.
We generate a voice from the vibration of two vocal cords situated at the larynx (also called Voice box) in our throat. The airstreams expired by our lungs passes between the vocal cords and sets them vibrating.
Things that can injure yourvoice
Do not smoke or have hot drinks. In addition to being a potent risk factor for laryngeal cancer, smoking causes inflammatory changes in the larynx that have a negative effect upon voice quality, pitch, and endurance.
Do not be a screamer or shouter. These ^inds of vocal behavior put excessive wear and tear on the vocal folds and can lead to injury. Think about non-verbal ways to communicate across a distance or to a crowd, such as using a whistle, waving or clapping, or flipping a light switch. Wave the flag of your favorite team rather than shouting at a big game like cricket or football.
Avoid eating habits that can promote acid reflux, such as going to bed with a full stomach or consuming caffeinated beverages. Elevating the head of your bed and not wearing tight-fitting clothes can also help prevent reflux, which can damage the vocal cords.
Be careful of everyday opportunities for vocal strain
Do not talk over background noise without considering
how it affects your voice. In these situations it is important to note how your throat feels, not only how it sounds. You may not hear how loudly you are talking, but you will feel the strain and irritation in your throat as a warning that you should reduce your vocal intensity or risk injury.
Think about how much you use your cell phone. Remember when riding in a car or train was a time for vocal rest? Remember when lunch was spent with a book or magazine rather than on the phone? Use of cellular phones is convenient, but they represent major oppor- tunities for voice overuse or abuse. Think about whether you really need to make that extra call, particularly on a bad connection or in a place with background noise.
There are many ways to warm up your voice, and one of them is listed below to get you started.
Breath Relaxation
Releases tension often associated in the breathing mechanism that can interfere with effective voice production. Ordinarily, if there is tension when breathing, that tension radiates to the voice box muscles. Take a normal breath and then exhale. Make sure your shoulders and chest are low and relaxed. Repeat many times making sure that your breaths are focused low in the abdomen and that there is not associated chest, neck, or shoulder tension while breathing. You can place one hand on your abdomen to remind you to keep the focus low and away from the chest and shoulders. Hold an "s" sound like in hiss when you exhale.
The writer is the Professor and Head of the Department of ENT, Medical College for Women and Hospital, Uttara, Dhaka.