World Voice Day: 10 Tips for a Healthy Voice

By Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center

World Voice Day is recognized annually on April 15. We often take our voices for granted – until something causes us to lose our voice: sore throat, laryngitis, yelling at your kids, kids yelling at each other, enthusiastic cheering for your favorite team, very energetic karaoke, etc.

Here are 10 tips to protect our voices:

1. 1. Try not to shout or scream.
   2. Decrease your volume – try not to repeatedly yell over others in noisy environments (e.g., restaurants, sporting events or other crowded locations).
   3. Try to eliminate background noise when talking.
   4. If you overuse your voice, take time for vocal rest by drinking lots of fluids and decreasing the amount of talking you do that day.
   5. When possible, use an amplification device or microphone when speaking in front of groups for long periods of time.
   6. Drink water to keep your vocal cords hydrated and healthy! If your vocal cords are dehydrated, they are more easily damaged and do not perform as well.
   7. Avoid clearing your throat or coughing repeatedly.
   8. Avoid excessive use of alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco.
   9. Warm up your voice before talking for a long period of time. Practice saying a sound such as “ah” going from low to high pitch and high to low pitch.
   10. Use good breath support. Try to breathe naturally and avoid holding your breath while speaking.