It seems that every week or so, another well-known singer makes headlines for undergoing vocal cord* surgery. From Julie Andrews to Adele, the voices of singers who suffer from vocal fold nodules, vocal fold polyps, and vocal fold hemorrhages are at risk of permanent damage. Even the most powerful singing voice can go from “rolling in the deep” to stopping dead in its tracks. But I want to make it very clear that injuries such as these are by no means contained to the recording studio. Vocal fold damage can happen to every single one of us, even if we don’t use our voice to make our living. So read on for some helpful pointers for protecting your voice. All you sports fans out there—I’m talking to you!
Losing your voice at a sporting event is a common occurrence. However, hoarseness that lasts for more than 24 hours may signify a vocal problem. The good news is, there are several easy preventative measures you can take to keep post-game hoarseness at bay:
- This one may not seem very fun, but it is obviously the best way to safeguard your voice. Do your best to keep your voice lowered during the game. Clap extra hard or jump up and down!
- If you can’t resist the urge to let out a big yell very now and then (or if the referee just has to be put in his place!), use breath support from your lower rib cage. Drinking water will also keep your vocal folds hydrated. Alcoholic beverages can dry out your vocal folds.
- Prior to the game, warm up your vocal muscles with some voice exercises such as fluttering your lips or humming a fight song. This is also a great way to prevent injury. Take a look at my You Tube channel for some excellent demonstrations.
- And when you are attempting to psych-out the members of the opposing team, keep your string of insults to a minimum! Yelling a string of words at full blast is much more harmful that a quick one-to-two second cheer.
I sense that few people would assume this, but screaming out spoken words can give your vocal cords more of a beating than singing for a long period of time. "Yelling and saying words is actually a lot harder than just holding out a tone, like a singer would do,” explains Dr. L. Arick Forrest of Ohio State University's Voice and Swallowing Clinic. Why? Because singing requires continual breath support whereas we can push out a loud yell without breath. So this is certainly something to keep in mind as the fall sports season approaches. And with the Nationals racing towards the Pennant, I will definitely have to try my hardest to keep my cheering in check!
*Vocal cord and vocal fold are interchangeable terms. Vocal fold is the most widely used term because the vocal folds are comprised of folds of lamina propria or tissues that vibrate. They are not cords that can break or tear.