Does a Weird Voice Imply Heath Issues?

The unique quality of your voice reveals a story about you. Others base your personality on your vocal traits such as whether you are perky, low-key, aggressive, humble, nervous, or assertive. Some voice types are given preference over others depending on the occasion. Specifically, professionals in the broadcasting field are taken more seriously when they speak in lower-pitched tones that come across with resonance. As the world is filled with a myriad of vocal types, people have the tendency of reacting positively to some voices and negatively to others. Those of you desiring to improve your speaking voice must determine whether the negative quality of your voice is due to a health condition that requires medical attention or whether you need to readjust an improper speaking technique that you have been using.

Certain signs indicate the need to consult a physician about your vocal health. Vocal health specialist Norman D. Hogikyan, M.D., from the University of Michigan, describes these signs as frequent throat clearing, a hoarse or raspy voice, strained voice projection, an aching throat, and sounding as if you have a cold. These abnormal voice patterns may reveal that you currently have or have experienced any of the following health issues: a cold or laryngitis, polyps or nodules on the vocal cords, acid reflux (when acid from the stomach backs up into the esophagus), or throat cancer. The severity of the treatment is determined by how early the signs are detected. These signs range from the prescription of medications such as Nexium to alleviate acid reflux damage of the esophagus to the surgical removal of the voice box to treat prolonged throat cancer.

Not all voice abnormalities are associated with health issues. Some voice issues are due to misusing your voice, and the remedy is as simple as redirecting your voice with more effective speaking techniques as instructed by voice coaches. For instance, in the book Smart (Sixty Second Strategies) Speaking, authors Laurie Schloff and Marcia Yudkin address solutions for speakers who are constantly asked to repeat themselves. They advise them to maintain the volume at the end of sentences, adequately space words in the sentence to avoid jumbling them together, and amply move their mouths when speaking. As voice exercises, these techniques are practiced when reciting mock sentences five times a day. Other suggestions for inaudible speakers include relaxing the throat; breathing deeply; fully projecting the voice through the jaw area rather than the throat area; and using vocal variety to accentuate important words with increased volume, varied pitch, and lengthened vowel sounds. Further, when speakers encounter the issue of breathiness or running out of breath and losing their voices in midsentence, Schloff and Yudkin recommend that they breathe from the abdomen rather than the chest area, take fewer breaths, and speak while exhaling in order to preserve the airflow throughout the full sentence.

By determining whether a voice dysfunction is health-related or technique-related, you can discover the appropriate way to address it. With health-onset voice issues, consulting a physician will introduce you to specified medical treatments; whereas, with voice issues triggered by defective speaking techniques, consulting voice coaches will provide you with various voice exercises. Either way, it is worth the effort to establish a fully-functioning voice that should always be pampered. The University of Michigan Health System offers the following tips: drink plenty of water, refrain from yelling, abstain from smoking, minimize throat clearing, and spare your voice when you have a cold.

Schloff, L., & Yudkin, M. (1991). Smart (Sixty-Second Strategies) Speaking. pp. 5-8, 15. New York: H. Holt.

University of Michigan Health System (2003, April 14). "Changes In Your Voice May Mean Trouble, Vocal Health Expert Warns." Science_Daily.