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The TUC has commented that many of our occupations are making us hoarse and
figures from the US suggest that as many as five million workers in the UK
could be routinely affected by voice loss at an annual cost to the economy of
over £200 million.
This indicates vocal abuse and damage on a large scale - so who is causing
these problems?
Unfortunately the answer is we inflict these problems on ourselves. The Royal
College of Speech and Language confirms that many teachers, sports coaches,
call centre workers, barristers, shop workers and even bingo callers are
creating long-term problems for themselves by forcing their voices on a daily
basis without realising the consequences.
So why is the voice so prone to damage? A key factor is overuse, because our
voices are not designed for constant use without breaks. Low humidity, stress,
tiredness, poor quality of workplace air, chemicals such as chlorine and
organic solvents also take their toll. Teachers have one of the most difficult
occupations, straining their vocal cords to be heard in a noisy situation day
after day. Over a period of time it is possible to lose a section of the normal
pitch range and you can find yourself with a permanently gravely tone. In some
cases you can lose your voice for short periods of time on a regular basis;
lose individual note bands permanently or in extreme cases of abuse, cause
growths on the vocal cords, which requires surgical removal.
The good news is that this is not inevitable.
It is possible to learn fairly simple techniques in one three hour practical
workshop which can, with practice, protect your voice during your normal
working day. Breathing and posture can provide support for the voice which,
together with a vocal warm-up, ensures that you are doing all you can to keep
your voice working.
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