Are you Experiencing Voice Fatigue?
Have you lost some of your vocal range? Are you suffering from a husky, hoarse, or breathy voice? Is your voice tight or strained? Do you have the feeling you need to clear your throat often? You may be suffering from Muscle Tension Dysphonia (MTD).
WHAT IS MUSCLE TENSION DYSPHONIA?
Muscle Tension Dysphonia is one of the most common voice disorders. In general terms, it is the imbalance of the coordination of muscles and breathing patterns needed to create your voice. It occurs when the muscles around the larynx are so tight during speaking or singing that the voice does not work efficiently. If there are no abnormalities in the vocal folds, then the primary type of MTD occurs as vocal fold constriction is triggered by extreme use of the laryngeal muscles.
WHAT CAUSES MTD
There are numerous reports of intermittent to persistent hoarseness as a result of COVID 19 and all the subsequent variants. A European epidemiological study found that 26.8 % of covid cases in their study had dysphonia(1) If you haven't suffered from Omicron or Covid, your voice hoarseness may have begun with a recent upper respiratory infection, causing laryngitis or swelling of your vocal cords. Because of that infection, you may have begun to rely on other muscles in your throat to speak. Even when your vocal cords have healed after the illness is over, you can get stuck in a pattern of relying on these muscles. Some MTD is caused by prolonged periods of stress and anxiety.
HERE ARE SOME HELPFUL TIPS TO HELP ALLEVIATE EXTREME VOCAL TENSION
Tip 1. Reduce your vocal volume.
The first thing we must avoid is loud talking or yelling. Any kind of loud phonation is going to hurt and cause issues. Loud talking can occur in clubs and parties where the general level of noise is loud. It can occur from shouting for your favourite sports team. It can also occur when you are trying to make yourself heard in a zoom call.
Tip 2. Avoid whispering.
While whispering, the vocal folds don’t come together properly which in turn teaches the voice to work in an incorrect manner.
Tip 3. Don’t clear your throat
It’s a habit that is abrasive to the vocal folds.
Tip 4. Always give your spoken voice a good supply of air.
Don’t talk at the end of your breath. It causes construction if you are talking while running out of air.
Tip 5. Do some small MTD mindful approach exercises daily.
Here are 3 to get you started.
MUSCLE TENSION DYSPHONIA EXERCISES
EXERCISE ONE. Always begin by checking your postural alignment. Remind yourself that your neck is an extension of your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down while calmly deep breathing.
EXERCISE TWO. Grab a Tennis ball and roll it gently on your neck and face and along the jawline and the muscles above and below the clavicle bones
EXERCISE THREE. Purse your lips like a Kiss shape and hum 1-5-1 on a slide, in a comfortable range while distracting your body by tossing a ball from hand to hand at the same time.
Get in touch to spend some time healing your voice. Let’s evaluate a realistic plan together. In our one-on-one virtual lesson, I will help you learn to relax your throat muscles, use your breath to power your voice efficiently, and teach you how to use good oral resonance (how air flows through your mouth and nose when you speak).
(1)Lechien, J. R. et al. Features of Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19 Patients With Dysphonia. J. Voice 892–1997 (2020).
