Friday, April 16 is World Voice Day. The theme this year is "Love Your Voice" designed to remind people of the value and significance of vocal health in daily life. The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has sponsored the U.S. observance of World Voice Day since its inception in 2002. Additional information is available at:
www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/worldVoiceDay.cfm.
Ninety percent of us with Parkinson’s will suffer from voice, speech and swallowing problems in our life time. Despite this year's theme of World Voice Day, I often don’t have much love for my Parkinson’s voice. In the past, I took my pre-Parkinson’s voice for granted. Now I long for its return.
What can you do to care for and protect your voice?
· Hydration: drink plenty of water, inhale steam, avoid drying agents such as diuretics, alcohol, and caffeine.
· Avoid smoking and second hand smoke.
· If you have acid reflux (stomach acid coming back up from the stomach to the throat), obtain medical treatment from a physician.
· Rest your voice when it becomes tired.
· Consider a personal voice amplification system if you need to speak for an extended time or to a large audience. I recently purchased a Spokeman Voice Amplifier from Luminaud which I appreciate because it takes the wear and tear off of my vocal cords by producing the loudness externally.
· If you suspect vocal injury, consult with your ENT (ear nose and throat physician) and your SLP (speech and language pathologist).
What can you do from home to improve your voice?
· Practice with Mary Spremulli’s Voice Aerobics DVD. Her web site is: http://www.voiceaerobicsdvd.com/ .
· Read The Voice Book by Kate DeVore and Starr Cookman and listen to the accompanying CD.
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