| If you suffer from chronic hoarseness and are not | | | | Some of the scenarios which can prompt vocal abuse |
| sick, then you are likely in the throes of vocal abuse. | | | | include: |
| While it is possible that certain antihistamines or other | | | | 1. constant shouting or yelling; |
| types of medications can produce irritation in your | | | | 2. talking in a loud voice for great lengths of time; |
| throat, for many people, prescribed drugs are not | | | | 3. talking in a normal volume of voice for great |
| the cause. Vocal abuse is. | | | | lengths of time; |
| These same people may go to an ENT specialist, be | | | | 4. rooting for your favorite sports team; |
| given a clean bill of health, and leave not knowing | | | | 5. trying to speak loudly in a noisy club or bar; |
| what is causing the problem or what to do about it. | | | | 6. holding day-long training sessions; |
| If you are experiencing vocal abuse and do nothing | | | | 7. teaching; and, |
| about it, then it will not only continue but there is also | | | | 8. coaching. |
| the likelihood that you will suffer permanent damage | | | | You may be able to add another scenario to the list |
| to your vocal folds (cords). | | | | above, however, what you need to realize from |
| One of the women in my church congregation is a | | | | these types of practices is that anything which |
| retired physical education teacher. She is no longer | | | | stresses your voice box and/or throat is hazardous |
| able to sing because of the tremendous amount of | | | | to your vocal health. And, unfortunately, what is |
| stress she placed on her voice during all those years | | | | currently hazardous to your speaking voice may be |
| of teaching and coaching. With a lot of 'gravel' in her | | | | downright injurious to those delicate vocal folds if |
| voice, Judy will forever live with the damage. | | | | you don't stop the activity which is causing your |
| A man I spoke to on the phone the other day is | | | | discomfort. |
| required to speak to various groups of people while | | | | By learning to place your voice in your chest, you can |
| standing outside on the grounds of the university | | | | immediately relieve the chronic hoarseness or sore |
| campus where he works. He is finding that after | | | | throat because you will be taking the stress and the |
| giving an 'outside' presentation, his throat is sore and | | | | strain off of your throat. |
| it is difficult for him to return to his 'normal' voice. | | | | In my next article, entitled, The Only Way to |
| What Walter does not understand is that if he | | | | Successfully 'Treat' Vocal Abuse, I will discuss the 3 |
| continues with these presentations in the exact same | | | | things you will need to learn in order to eliminate the |
| fashion, he will one day discover that his 'normal' | | | | problem once and for all. |
| voice is gone forever. | | | | |