Voice Health During Cold Season

Voice Health During Cold Season

Kristin Park, MS CCC-SLP

It’s that time of year again when there’s frost on the ground every morning, the temperature hovers around a chilly 30 degrees all day, and a warm cup of hot cocoa is practically a necessity after dinner. (Side note, have you tried one of those super-popular hot cocoa bombs yet? They’re a blast!)

It’s also that time of the year when many people seem to lose their voice, experience sore throats, or have a scratchy, hoarse vocal quality. Do you ever wonder what exactly happens to your throat to cause these unpleasant issues? Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons why our voice can be negatively affected during the winter months.

Vocal fold inflammation: Your voice is produced using your two vocal folds (also called cords), which are located just behind your Adam’s apple in the larynx. Normally, your left and right vocal folds vibrate at high speeds in sync with each other, which produces the various tones and frequencies of your voice. When you have a cold, however, your vocal folds can become inflamed and irritated. These swollen vocal folds can’t move as fluidly as they normally do, which results in a distorted or “scratchy” voice.

Vocal fatigue: When you have a cold, your vocal folds can swell up and the muscles surrounding them can tighten. This makes it a little more difficult to speak loud. Even though it only requires a tiny bit of extra effort to speak up with a cold, that effort adds up throughout the course of the day. By the end of the day, many cold sufferers find that their voice is completely worn out. Our vocal folds need rest just like we do!

Excess laryngeal mucus: Unfortunately, the mucus produced by our sinuses doesn’t just stay in our noses when we have a cold. Most, if not all, of us are familiar with that unpleasant sensation of post-nasal drip – mucus drips from the back of the nasal passage and sits right on top of the larynx and vocal folds. A little bit of mucus is normal and actually healthy! However, an increased amount of thick, tacky mucus is commonly observed in persons with inflammatory voice disorders. This can lead to excessive throat clearing, a gurgly or raspy voice, and vocal fatigue.

Dry air: A major contributor to your tired, raspy “sick” voice is dry air. In the winter, the outside air lacks the moisture that is essential for proper vocal fold functioning. Ideally, humidity levels should be around 45%, but dry winter air can drop to around 15% humidity, or even less! Dried out and irritated laryngeal tissue means your vocal folds can’t vibrate at their optimal levels.

Now that you have a better understanding of the various elements that contribute to that scratchy, raspy, or total absent voice, let’s go over some easy things you can do to prevent it from happening to you!

1. Breathe through your nose – This prevents your mouth from drying out as quickly.
2. Drink lots of water – Hydration is key to combating vocal fold issues! You should drink enough water everyday to make your urine light and clear.
3. Take vocal naps periodically – A general rule of thumb is to take 10 minutes of “vocal rest” for every 50 minutes spent talking. Give your vocal folds time to calm down and recharge.
4. Take steam baths or invest in a humidifier – This goes along with nose breathing and drinking water. Keeping your home at a decent humidity level works wonders for your voice.
5. Keep your immune system happy – To help prevent illness and vocal fold inflammation, make sure you take care of your immune and lymphatic systems so your body can get rid of toxins and waste. To do this, follow a simple exercise routine, practice proper breathing techniques, and (you guessed it) stay hydrated.
6. Work on your breathing techniques – Deep breathing, or breathing with your diaphragm, is beneficial for your immune system and vocal fold health. When you use shallow breathing, you end up exhausting more effort to speak, which can lead to vocal fatigue.