The Clinic for Persons with Voice Disorders at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) in Mysuru has remedies for those suffering from such issues.
For, it offers specialized assessment and treatment for individuals with voice disorders and has one of the unique facilities for carrying out interventions for voice problems as it is equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment to visualize structures of vocal folds using video stroboscope.
The clinic does a detailed acoustic voice analysis in which phono surgeons, ENT doctors, and speech-language pathologists collaboratively evaluate the voice-producing system and offer best voice care in terms of medication, surgery and voice therapy for the needy persons, according to AIISH.
The institute recently spread awareness on voice health on World Voice Day. This year’s theme was ‘Lift your voice’.
Experts at the AIISH suggest that prevention is better than cure as they advise precautions for avoiding occurrence of voice problems, especially for those who use their voice as an occupational tool.
Basic precautions
They advise avoiding speaking loudly for hours together and going to bed immediately after lunch or dinner besides evading throat clearing, getting exposed to dust or chemicals besides, speaking in presence of loud music and noise, screaming and shouting and so on.
“The harmful effects on voice can be nullified and the vocal structures can be preserved if precautions are taken. Drinking plenty of water, taking adequate voice rest, speaking with normal or average loudness, drinking herbal tea, giving gap between two consecutive classes, giving minimum of one and half to two hours gap between meal/dinner time and bedtime are a few vocal hygiene tips that one can follow for the good voice health,” explains R. Rajasudhakar, Associate Professor, Department of Speech-Language Sciences and Member, Clinic for Persons with Voice Disorders, AIISH.
He said the otolaryngologists, speech-language pathologists and phono surgeons must work together and educate the public including patients with voice problems about the recent advances in the field of voice care through lectures, free voice screening etc.
Common symptoms
“The first and foremost symptom of voice problems is ‘voice change’. Generally, after having a cold or throat infection, one’s voice undergoes a change in voice quality. Other symptoms include voice tiredness/fatigue, irritation or itching sensation in the throat, pain in the throat or throat discomfort, voice cracks, complete loss of voice, feeble voice and so on,” he said in a note here.
From the occupational point of view, if the voice is not adequately satisfying or not able to meet someone’s requirement in carrying out the daily job means, it is said to be a voice problem, he explains.
For example, a teacher complains that their voice is not audible to students who sit in the last two rows. This could be a functional issue where their loudness of voice is not meeting the classroom demands. Similarly, a singer complains of not being able to sing in a high note or ‘swaras’. These are voice problems, he added.
