Children love to play with their voices by laughing, singing, yelling, whispering, making funny noises, or imitating their favorite characters. However, when children over-exert their voices, it has the potential to lead to vocal abuse.
Vocal abuse/misuse: Vocal abuse and misuse is any activity that strains or harms the vocal folds. Examples include yelling, excessive talking, excessive crying, coughing, throat clearing, poor hydration, and exposure to irritants. Over time, this type of activity can create lesions on one’s vocal folds, resulting in permanent damage and/or the need for medical intervention.
Children will often adapt their voices to match those around them. Therefore, adults should monitor the way they speak and model good vocal habits! Below are some things you can do to help maintain a healthy voice.
DO AVOID
| Drink plenty of water – Drinking water helps keep the vocal folds hydrated and nourished. – A general water intake goal is approximately half of your body weight in ounces/day (not to exceed 100 oz). | Drinking caffeine or energy drinks – Since caffeine is a dehydrating agent, it is important to balance your intake with water. |
| Walk up to someone, use whistles, clappers, ring a bell, blow a horn – Rather than yelling to gain someone’s attention or cheering loudly at an event, try alternatives that do not require the vocal folds to be overexerted. | Shouting and yelling – Shouting and yelling causes the vocal folds to collide together at a greater force. When done excessively, it has the potential to lead to vocal fold damage. |
| Remain in the same space as the person you’re talking to | Shouting and yelling across different rooms/areas of the home |
| Use a quiet voice – Instead of whispering, try speaking quietly, with your voice turned on. | Whispering – When we whisper, we squeeze our vocal folds more tightly, which might contribute to strain. |
| Turn down music or noise when conversing – Instead of competing over noise, turn down the volume, so you are not speaking loudly.
| Talking over music or loud noises – When we talk over loud volumes, we tend to speak louder, therefore causing our vocal folds to collide at greater forces. |
| Eat foods with vitamins A, E, and C (fruits, vegetables, whole grains) – Vitamins A, E and C help keep the mucus membranes that line the throat nourished and lubricated. | Eating spicy foods – Spicy foods can irritate the throat and vocal folds, causing irritation and swelling.
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*Please contact your pediatrician if you suspect your child has a voice disorder.
Resources
https://leader.pubs.asha.org/doi/full/10.1044/leader.FTR1.15142010.12
