Keep Your Voice Safe
Perhaps you have an interest in singing, you commonly find yourself speaking for events, or you are aspiring to become a voice-actor. Whatever the case is, everybody who uses their voice as a tool desires to keep it safe and want to know how to avoid damaging it.............
Certainly, a big part of having a good voice is in utilizing it properly, but your vocal cords are very small muscles that do very strenuous things. Even the best of voices need maintenance. If you want to keep your voice in top shape, here are some guidelines on how to protect it.
Steps
- Don't smoke. The tar created by tobacco especially will make it difficult to breathe, and the other toxins will damage your vocal cords. Smoking is also just not very good for you in general.
- Make a habit of relaxing and warming up the vocal cords before exercising or extensively using them. Try searching around for some good exercises to relax your body and some good warm-up techniques.
- Consider hiring a good vocal coach. He or she should be able to assist you not only in strengthening your voice, but also help in keeping you from damaging your voice.
- Avoid cold or overly hot liquids. Your vocal cords are very sensitive and coldness will cause them to tighten up, making singing more difficult. While warm drinks are good and relaxing for your voice, drinking them too hot can increase your risk of esophageal cancer.
- Avoid consuming dairy products before performing. Dairy creates phlegm, which can make it difficult to sing.
- Learn how to use your diaphragm properly to avoid wearing out your vocal cords. Permanent damage can happen if you're not careful.
- If you get a sore throat, don't take anything that numbs it. When the anesthetic wears off, your throat will hurt even worse than before. Instead, you should drink warm liquids, gargle with salt water, drink juice, and eat soup.
- Avoid drinking caffeine right before any performance. Caffeine tightens the vocal cords; needless to say, this temporarily hinders your range and endurance. If you need to drink tea, then ensure that it's decaffeinated.
Tips
- Hard candy is an excellent substitute for a chloraseptic or numbing spray if you don't like regular cough drops.
- If you blow out your voice and can't talk for awhile, don't try to force it. Talking exacerbates the damage. Just get a lot of fluids in your system and let it heal itself.
- Talk with people you know who sing, or even a choir teacher for help in other areas of singing. A lot of what one knows about singing can be applied to other voice-related things.
- Make sure you get Vitamin A in your diet. Vitamin A regenerates various cells, assisting the body's rebuilding of your vocal cords.
Warnings
- While breathing exercises to aid in diaphragm control is well and good, if you begin to feel light-headed or dizzy while doing so, stop doing it. Certain exercises could cause you to hyperventilate. It is always best to have someone who is an expert in vocal music help you.
- This may sound a bit silly and obvious, but don't drink scalding hot liquids. Not only is this painful, but it will also damage your throat further.
- If you have a vocal nodule or polyp, significant use of your vocal cords isn't safe; instead, seek the necessary help from a doctor who is a specialist in matters dealing with the voice.
Related Articles
- Avoid Vocal Damage When Singing
- Keep Your Voice Healthy
