Top 5 frequent suspects of vocal problems in humans

Singers, actors, teachers, politicians and other professional voice users are prone to developing voice problems because of the extensive use of their voice. These problems may be obvious; like a complete loss of voice. A singer could experience not only a loss of high notes, but also the loss of their voice in general. A voice problem in these professions can be career-threatening and therefore those voice problems need to be assessed as soon as possible. Below are five frequent reasons that can cause vocal problems for these professionals.

  1) Singing loudly without warming up: If you are in a rock band and use a loud belt quality frequently without warming up or practicing properly, your vocal folds will thicken and lose flexibility. 

 2) Acid Reflux: You may have acid reflux. Acid reflux happens when the acid from your stomach travels back up to the esophagus. Try not to eat too late. Avoid acid-producing food such as alcohol, coffee, meat, sugar, and dairy products. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Drink lots of water. 

 3) Nodules: You may have nodules or a polyp. Polyps are especially difficult to analyze as they tend not to affect your vocal folds. You can still sound well-connected, but your voice tires easily.  Nodules are easier to spot for a singer, as it makes high notes almost impossible to achieve and even the lower tone in their voice becomes compromised whether they are either speaking or singing. 

 If they are soft nodules, a few months working with a professional vocal coach on your vocal technique should get rid of the vocal problem. But, in retrospect, if the vocal cord nodule(s) reach a severe growth-span (to the point where it completely compromises your speaking voice, as well as your singing voice) you may need surgery to treat vocal cord problems of this magnitude. 

4) Vocal Fold Gap: You may have a slight gap at the back of your vocal folds. This is called Sulcus Vocalis. If this problem is left untreated, it can grow to a more severe problem known as muscle tension dysphonia. For these types of disorders, it is very important to find an alternative voice specialist to deal with them.  The technical aspects that should be addressed with respect to this disorder (and many others) include improving posture, improving breath control and support, avoiding excessive shoulder and neck tension, etc.

5) Bad Speaking Habits: Normally, we use our speaking voice much more than our singing voice. If you have a raspy/breathy voice or you excessively clear your throat, you need to re-train yourself with a professional voice specialist/speech therapist   and they will teach you how to speak with a healthy clear voice. 

All the above-mentioned points are the most common causes of vocal problems. If you feel that you frequently have these problems, contact a vocal specialist in order to have them properly diagnose the underlying causes so they can effectively restore and improve the quality of your speaking and singing voice.