Performers and public speakers take steps to warm up their vocal cords and protect their voices from overuse. But there are plenty of people in other careers who use their voices all day—often without the same level of care.
“People who talk a lot at work, especially in loud environments like factories or classrooms, are at increased risk of voice strain,” says Glendon Gardner, M.D., an ear, nose and throat doctor at Henry Ford Health.
Tired of croaking at the end of a long day? Here’s how to protect your voice so you can sound more like yourself.
What Is Vocal Strain?
It’s no surprise that talking a lot is the main cause of voice overuse. But volume is another necessary ingredient.
When you talk, bands of tissue called vocal folds (or vocal cords) come together and vibrate. That produces the sound of your voice. “The louder you talk, the more your vocal folds vibrate, causing them to come together with more force,” Dr. Gardner explains. Eventually, that repeated force can lead to swelling in the vocal folds.
When swollen, the folds don’t come together tightly when you speak. “Some air leaks out, which creates a roughness or hoarseness to the voice,” he explains. “People often speak louder to overcome that hoarseness, but that can make the problem worse.”
That swelling and hoarseness are often temporary. You might sound hoarse after chatting and singing all night at a loud party, but your voice will usually recover in a day or so. People who strain their voice regularly, however, can develop persistent swelling. That can cause a bump, called a nodule, to form on the vocal folds.
Nodules are basically calluses that form on the vocal folds. They don’t become cancerous and aren’t harmful to your health. “But they do make your voice lower and rougher sounding,” Dr. Gardner says. Nodules also cause you to strain to speak normally. That can make the muscles in your throat start to hurt.
Voice Overuse: Are You at Risk?
Voice overuse can affect anyone who uses their voice all day, especially if they work in loud environments.
People who work in noisy factories often have to shout to be heard over the din of machines, for example. Servers and bartenders working in restaurants and bars often have to shout to be heard over the buzz. “And of course, teachers are at high risk,” Dr. Gardner says. “They’re talking all day and often have to shout or speak loudly to be heard over the noise of the classroom.”
Work isn’t the only place where people strain their vocal cords, though. Parents shouting on the sidelines at sporting events and frequent concertgoers singing along to ear-splitting tunes can also develop voice fatigue.
Preventing Voice Overuse
You don’t have to take a vow of silence to protect your vocal cords. Dr. Gardner offers these tips to prevent vocal strain.
- Lower the volume: Talking more quietly helps protect your voice. But if your job requires you to talk a lot in noisy environments, you might have to get creative. “If you work in a factory, you could develop hand signals to communicate with coworkers to avoid shouting over the machines,” Dr. Gardner says.
- Rest your voice: If you’ve been talking all day, give your voice a break after work. That means resisting the urge to sing along to the radio on the way home. If you sound hoarse after a long day, Dr. Gardner suggests trying a modified voice rest. “Don’t whisper, since that can also be hard on your voice. But talk softly enough so that people can’t hear you well if they’re standing more than an arm’s length away.”
- Stay hydrated: Your vocal cords work their best when they are well hydrated. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and avoid things like alcohol and caffeine that can dry you out.
- Quit smoking: “Smoking is bad for everything in the body, but it’s particularly hard on the vocal folds,” Dr. Gardner says. “Smoking is the leading cause of throat cancer, and specifically vocal fold cancer,” he adds.
- Get voice therapy: Speech-language pathologists train patients using therapeutic techniques to protect their voice. Those strategies can reduce voice strain and help prevent nodules from forming. Voice therapy can also help shrink or even get rid of nodules that have already developed.
When to See a Doctor for Voice Strain
If you experience unexplained changes to your voice that last more than two weeks, Dr. Gardner recommends a visit to an ear, nose and throat doctor. “We can use a scope to look for structural problems and rule out things like tumors that could affect the sound of the voice,” he says.
If you sound like a frog after a long day (or week) of talking but recover after some rest, you’re probably dealing with voice overuse. Still, if it’s a persistent problem, a doctor can look for nodules or refer you to vocal therapy to help protect your vocal cords.
By watching for signs of strain and practicing healthy voice habits, you can keep your voice ringing loud and clear.
Reviewed by Dr. Glendon Gardner, an otolaryngologist at Henry Ford Hospital and Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital.
