LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE

The voice is the mirror of the soul.Voice, the most important parameter of human communication, has an extremely complex code. This code gives a simple sentence different meanings and can turn prose into poetry and poetry into prose. Love again with the same code; the sentence turns into hate with the same code.

Mechanically, the formation of our voice begins with the compression of air in the lungs. This is the energy source of sound, and as the energized air passes between the vocal cords, it is transformed into sound waves. But the sound at the laryngeal level is a raw sound, similar to a sizzle. From our lips until it leaves our body, this sound is shaped in the throat and oral-nasal cavities and undergoes a transformation similar to the transformation of a handful of clay into a sculpture.

For some reason, we often ignore problems with our voice, our hidden treasure. The deterioration in our voice becomes worth consulting a doctor after days and weeks have passed. However, something that is in plain sight, such as a burr in the eye, will send us to the hospital the very next day.

Voice disorders are analyzed in two main groups. In functional voice disorders, there is no visible disease in the vocal cords. There is a problem with the muscles that make up the voice and breathing technique. The treatment is basically voice therapy, that is, changing the habit of voice use with different techniques. This is sometimes very dramatic. The change in boys’ voices during puberty is incomplete in some individuals. A strikingly thin and cracked voice can carry into adulthood if left untreated. This abnormal voice can cause great storms in a person’s psyche. This process, which starts with social shyness and continues with the development of an introverted and insecure personality, sometimes acquires aggressive characteristics. This voice disorder, known as puberphonia, can be treated with a single voice therapy session in a voice clinic.

Organic voice disorders include masses such as nodules, polyps or cancer on the vocal cords, and neurological diseases that affect the functioning of the vocal cords. In such diseases, surgical and drug treatments can be added to voice therapies. Take laryngeal cancer, for example, which does not change the voice much in the first few weeks. Cancer cells, which grow and spread insidiously, are not affected at all by antibiotics and cough syrups taken unconsciously in the early days. The disease, which can be treated with a simple surgery or only radiation therapy with early diagnosis, may lead to removal of the entire larynx in advanced stages; worse, it can become life-threatening.

In case of voice disorders exceeding two days, you should consult an ENT physician regardless of the cause.

Not sure if there is a problem with your voice? Here is a test to evaluate your own voice:

For the following suggestions, indicate the ones that are true for your voice with a (+) sign and the ones that are not true with a (-) sign.

1. You often feel short of breath when you speak.
2. You don’t like listening to your own voice on a recording device (tape, video, etc.).
3. Your voice gets tired as you talk.
4. People who don’t know you think you are younger or older than you are on the phone.
5. Your voice sounds distant, weak, as if you are tired.
6. Your voice sounds different in the morning and evening.
7. If you talk too much, your throat hurts.
8. In some cases people find it difficult to hear your voice.
9. You don’t sound as good as you used to.
10. Your voice sounds nasal.
11. Your voice sounds like you are sick.
12. When you are really angry or tired, you can be very quiet.
13. You can’t use your voice the way you want to when you speak.
14. You wish your tone of voice would change.
15. Your current voice does not reflect the real you.
16. You often clear your throat.
17. Sometimes your voice is completely hoarse when you have a cold or allergies
18. After long conversations, your throat feels extremely dry and irritated.
19. What you say is often misunderstood.
20. Strangers you talk to on the phone think you are the opposite sex (female if you are male, male if you are female).

Add up the (+) signs you gave to the 20 proposals above and evaluate the result in the table below:

If it’s between 0-2: Nothing serious to worry about

If it’s between 3-4: You may have something to worry about

If it’s between 5-8: You should be concerned, consult a specialist

9 and above: Consult a voice clinic or an ENT specialist as soon as possible

The higher the degree of anxiety, the more likely it is that you are at least using your voice incorrectly. Are you unable to use your natural voice? So do something to change it and do something about this problem that is holding you back in the next part of your life. Care about your voice, recognize your voice, listen to your voice. Amateur choirs not only contribute to your personal development, but also expand the grounds for social reconciliation, in a sense like a non-governmental organization.Remember, everyone – but everyone – can sing.