Vocal Strain – What Does It Mean?

Vocal Strain means that the voice was misused or abused in more ways then one.

Sometimes, just regular people end up abusing their voices without being aware of doing so. Some of them are speaking a lot and speaking very forcefully; almost screaming instead of speaking.

They do get tired by the end of the day, but in the morning, they start all over again. Also, if their work requires them to speak on the phone all day, or to teach classes/courses, that’s where voice/vocal strain may occur; (and sometimes, to the point when they may lose their voice completely). Sometimes, the vocal strain could produce growths (like nodules or polyps) on the vocal cords. That’s where the “alarm should go off”, so to speak.

Now we are talking about the growth on the vocal cords which, by itself, is a very serious matter. Either surgically, or preferably non-surgically, any growth has to be eliminated. We know of cases where such growth(s) had been left untreated for some time; and then later on, as a result, the growth(s) progressed to a malignant stage.

As for singers, due to the lack of the proper technique, they could also acquire serious problems onto their vocal anatomy. Outside of provoking a growth on their vocal cords, they could also end up with Muscle Tension Dysphonia, or even Spasmodic Dysphonia. Very often, the strained vocal cords could lead to a vocal disorder such as, for example, solcus vocalis (enlarged gap between the vocal cords). The vocal cords become so strained that they are unable to come back to their original state.

Often, the speaker or singer sounds quite hissy and breathy, which is the first symptom of the above aforementioned vocal disorder(s). To avoid all of those vocal issues, the singers should adapt an adequate technique which promotes the safety, health and longevity of one’s voice.

The regular people and the professional people who require extensive use of their voices, should be always on guard with respect to how they use their voice.

If you (the reader) do notice any changes with your speaking and, or singing voice, stop immediately and assess the situation.

Don’t let it go unnoticed. the above changes may lead you to a serious voice disorder and you may even experience a complete loss of voice.

REMEMBER, YOU will always need your TOOL OF COMMUNICATION - YOUR VOICE!

Please love it and preserve it for life!