George Barnes, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, is a board-certified speech-language pathologist specializing in dysphagia management with extensive expertise in diagnosing and treating medically complex patients. In this post, George shares his expert insights on vocal health—a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of overall well-being. Your voice is one of your most valuable tools, and protecting it requires more than just resting when you're hoarse. From hydration and mindful vocal care to reflux prevention strategies, George breaks down the essential habits to keep your voice strong, clear, and resilient.
Your voice is your instrument. Are you giving it the care it deserves? Just like any instrument, your voice needs regular maintenance to stay in top shape.
Some argue that our voices and communication ability sets us apart in the animal kingdom. In other words, it is what makes us human. The larynx and vocal folds, the small, sensitive strands of soft tissue that vibrate to create voice, are widely referred to as the “voice box.” The voice box is essentially an instrument. Anyone who takes pride in their instruments knows they require maintenance, upkeep, and close attention and care to prevent breakdown. Our voices are no different. Without adequate vocal care, we are at risk of strain, fatigue, and potential long-term damage. So, where does good vocal care start?
Vocal Care Routine
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Adequate hydration is essential for lubricating the vocal folds. You know the feeling when you are not drinking enough and your larynx becomes dry? It’s like rubbing sandpaper together. You experience discomfort, pain, difficulty speaking, coughing, and even a laryngospasm, making breathing difficult.
- Gentle Vocal Warm-Ups: Depending on what you do for a living and how often you use your voice, you should prepare the vocal folds for the workday.
Effective exercises include:
- Humming to engage the vocal folds gently.
- Lip trills and tongue rolls to improve vocal flexibility.
- Light scales to expand the vocal range without strain.
- Strategic Scheduling: Alternate between vocally demanding and less vocally demanding tasks to prevent vocal fatigue.
Like an instrument, if we use it all day, every day, it’s going to wear out. In the case of a guitar, you might simply get it restrung. This isn’t so easy when you have only two permanent vocal folds to take care of.
- Amplification When Needed: To reduce the need to project the voice, use a microphone during group sessions or when working with patients with hearing impairments.
- Conscious Breathing: Diaphragmatic breathing supports the voice and prevents strain.
It’s like blowing a trumpet at the end of the breath vs. right after you take a deep breath by pushing out your diaphragm and letting the lungs drop down. Diaphragmatic breathing gives you the leverage and power to project your voice without fatiguing or damaging your vocal folds.
Reflux Awareness and Prevention
Did you know that reflux can affect more than just your esophagus? Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) occurs when stomach acid travels all the way up to the larynx and pharynx, impacting your vocal health.
Understanding LPR
Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) occurs when reflux comes up from the stomach and goes up through the esophagus and into the laryngeal and pharyngeal spaces. LPR can significantly impact vocal health. Remember, your vocal folds are sensitive strands of soft tissue. Stomach acid is typically between a pH of one and two. That’s almost as acidic as battery acid. LPR, then, is like gargling battery acid. Yikes!
Even without classic heartburn symptoms, reflux can irritate the larynx and vocal folds, leading to common symptoms such as hoarseness, throat clearing, and chronic cough. If you’re suspicious about your risk of reflux, consider asking your trusted physician for further testing to see if an alginate like RefluxRaft might be a good option.
Dietary Choices: Our food could exacerbate the harmful effects of laryngopharyngeal reflux. Try to avoid the following common reflux triggers, especially before going to bed at night:
- Acidic foods
- Fatty foods
- Spicy foods
- Caffeine
- Carbonated beverages
Lifestyle Habits: Last but certainly not least, engaging in the best lifestyle habits will not only make your body healthier but also your voice healthier. For example, refrain from alcohol and tobacco use and try to exercise regularly. Obesity commonly exacerbates reflux by creating additional intraabdominal pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter.
Maintaining vocal health requires an ongoing, proactive approach. By prioritizing hydration, vocal warm-ups, and reflux prevention, we can ensure our voices remain strong and healthy tools for communicating what’s important at work and in our personal lives.
About the Author
George Barnes, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S is a board-certified speech-language pathologist specializing in dysphagia management, with expertise in diagnostics for medically complex patients. As the co-founder of FEESible Swallow Solutions, he is dedicated to improving patient access to high-quality dysphagia services. George is also an educator, mentor, and researcher committed to advancing the field of medical speech-language pathology.
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