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A Slice of range V o l u m e
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Value your voice
Your voice is a gift as unique as your fingerprint. Learn about how to take care of your voice and be heard for a long, long time. How voice is produced
Top view of voice box
Many parts of the body are involved in producing your voice (see body parts in diagram), but it’s vocal cord vibration that makes the actual sound.
(or what your ENT sees with his little mirror when you say “aaahhh”) Epiglottis
Vocal cords
Nasal cavity
At rest
Vibrating vocal cords
Palate Tongue Vocal cords Voice box (larynx) Windpipe (trachea)
Lungs
A Slice of Orange is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.
Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes Orange de Guzman, MD
Diaphragm
The vocal cords are two elastic bands of muscle tissue in the voice box above the windpipe. The voice box is between the tongue and the windpipe (trachea), which is the passageway to the lungs. When you are simply breathing and not using your voice, the vocal cords are open so air can pass through. To produce a sound, the cords come together to close and air from the lungs passes through them, causing vibration. The sound this vibration produces travels through the throat, nose and mouth. The structures of these parts, as well as of the vocal cords, determine the quality of your voice.
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We change our voice by lengthening or shortening, and tensing or relaxing the vocal cords. To make our voice deeper, we unknowingly shorten and relax the cords; lengthening and tensing them produces a high-pitched voice.
Although we can freely read e-mail and SMS to ‘hear’ from others, there is nothing like actually hearing someone’s voice to find out what the other person really wants to say. Voice is not just any sound; it has the capacity to reflect our mood and personality. Although there may be days when it’s refreshing to not have to speak, losing one’s voice is oftentimes considered a setback, particularly if you have a job highly dependent on speaking. Voice is unhealthy when it has become hoarse or if it suddenly sounds deeper. Also, if you’ve lost your ability to hit high notes while singing or if it’s too much of an effort to talk, you might want to look into your vocal habits. If your throat often feels raw or painful, or if you have to clear your throat often, your voice might not be at the peak of health. Many vocal problems can be avoided by taking care of your voice. Here are some ways to keep your voice healthy and intact. • Don’t make clearing your throat a habit. Clearing your throat is like slamming your vocal cords together, which can damage them and end in hoarseness. If you need
to clear your throat, just take a sip of water or simply swallow. • Drink the right kind and amount of fluids. The best drink for a healthy voice is water – about 6 to 8 glasses of it a day. Alcohol and caffeinated drinks can cause dehydration, which is bad for your voice, especially if you need your voice most of the day. Alcohol also irritates the membranes that line the throat. Always increase your fluid intake when exercising. • Maintain good posture. Even if you’re just talking on the phone, don’t slouch or bend your head while talking. This kind of bad posture constricts the throat, reduces airflow and strains the voice.
What are some causes of voice problems? • Upper respiratory problems, such as colds • Inflammation caused by acid reflux • Vocal misuse and abuse • Vocal nodules and polyps • Laryngeal cancer • Neuromuscular diseases, such as vocal cord paralysis • Psychological trauma
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Frequent vocal abuse and misuse can damage your voice and cause possibly permanent changes in voice quality, even loss of voice. • Vocal abuse: any behavior or occurrence that strains or injures the vocal cords; includes excessive talking, throat clearing, coughing, inhaling irritants, smoking or yelling • Vocal misuse: improper voice usage; includes speaking too loudly or at an abnormally high or low pitch
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• Be kind to your voice. Avoid daily yelling and screaming. Don’t talk in noisy places where you have to strain your voice to be heard. If you need to speak louder on a regular basis, use a microphone or any equipment that amplifies your voice. When your voice is already hoarse due to infection, avoid excessive talking. Don’t grunt when straining during exercise.
• Wash your hands often. Hand washing is one of the most effective ways to prevent colds, flu and other infections.
• Speak slowly. Pause often at natural phrase boundaries. Avoid squeezing out a few words if you are out of breath already.
• Get enough rest. When your body is tired, your voice can be affected.
• Exercise regularly. Exercise increases muscle tone, which helps provide good posture and promote good breathing, which are necessary for proper speaking.
• Use your regular vocal pitch. If you try to make your voice too low or too high, your vocal cords are at risk of being injured.
• Avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol or irritating chemicals. If you must use these products, limit use to oral rinsing.
• Don’t smoke and avoid secondhand smoke. Smoking irritates the throat. In addition, smoking can put you at risk of cancer of the vocal cords.
• Consider voice therapy. A speech-language pathologist can advise you on the healthy use of your voice and instruction in proper voice techniques.
• Avoid eating spicy foods. Spicy foods can aggravate acid reflux disease, which causes stomach acid to move into the throat or esophagus. This can damage your vocal cords.
• Consult your doctor. Seek professional help if you experience throat discomfort or hoarseness for more than 2 weeks.
A slice of trivia Voice is the sound made by the vocal cords, but what one-syllable S word refers to the production and perception of sounds used in spoken language or the expression of thoughts in spoken words? Freshen up on your researching skills, e-mail us the answer at orange@activelink-consult.com and win a prize!
Kamillosan® M Spray Solution. We’ll include the answer in the next issue of A Slice of Orange.
From those with the correct answer, 20 people will be randomly chosen to win a bottle of
What is the more popular term for ‘acute viral nasopharyngitis’?
Answer to last issue’s question:
‘Acute viral nasopharyngitis’ is a more descriptive, technical term for colds or the common cold. ‘Acute’ refers to the short-term duration of the illness; ‘viral’ means the infection is caused by a virus (as opposed to bacteria or fungi); and ‘nasopharyngitis’
Looking to enhance your corporate healthcare benefits? E-mail us at benefits@activelink-consult.com. The information in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a doctor for all matters relating to your health, particularly for symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. © 2008 ActiveLink
Benefits Made Better
ActiveLink 104 VA Rufino Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City, 1229 Philippines T: +632 817 4606 / 817 7900 www.activelink-consult.com
refers to the site of the infection, the nose and throat area.
The Orange wants to he ar from you! Dying to ask us your health related questio ns? Itching to share your pe rsonal health tips? Want to sugg est topics for future issues? Feel free to contac t us. You can e-m ail our team at orange@activ elink-consult.c om.