Does vocal hygiene mean deodorant for your vocal cords?
by atempovoicecenter atempovoicecenter on 05/19/14
Clients often wonder what in the world I mean when I say vocal hygiene. I don’t mean putting deodorant on your vocal cords, however, the routine and care parts of hygiene apply here. There are aspects of vocal hygiene that I recommend to all my clients do their very best to improve.
1- Water Intake:
…..Try to drink about half your body weight in ounces of water per day to completely hydrate your vocal folds.
….. Get in a habit of always having a bottle of water with you. (I always leave the house with a large bottle in the morning, and refill as needed.)
2- Vocal Misuse Behaviors and Habits
….Please avoid smoke as it dries out the vocal folds
….Do not scream, yell, make weird noises for long periods of time
….Take voice rests when you are using your voice for long periods of time
3- Medication and Acid Reflux
….Some medications can dry out your vocal cords, so add a cup of water per drying medication
….Caffeine can dry out your vocal cords, so add a cup of water per cup of coffee
….Acid Reflux can cause heartburn, but some effects of Reflux can cause damage to your vocal cords and surrounding areas while never causing you any pain or discomfort
A more specific presentation of this information can be found here
from Blake Simpson
Resources: Sivasankar, Mahalakshmi & Leydon, Ciara. (2008) From bench to bedside: Translational research on vocal fold hydration. Perspectives, 18, 112-118. Roth, D., Verdolini, K. (2003) Occupational issues in voice problems. Perspectives on Voice and Voice Disorders, 13, 1, 8-14.
