September 3, 2019
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Raise your hand if you’re excited that football season is here!!!
Calling All Fans!!...
Raise your hand if you’re a FAN of anything for that matter!
As a fan, you might feel it is your mission to not only support your team by cheering them on to victory, but also to make sure everyone else hears your passion throughout the entire game as well. Amidst your cheers, yells, loud talking with fellow fans, possible alcohol intake, & the evolving scoreboard & game clock—the health of one essential “player” in the game can easily become ignored…& this often forgotten MVP is none other than your VOICE.
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Show your team spirit but keep in mind that yelling, cheering, and/or shouting all significantly increase your risk of vocal injury & actually strain the vocal folds, causing discomfort. The impact, stretching, & shearing forces that occur during VF vibration can pose threats to the epithelial barrier (outermost protective layer of the VF tissue), possibly creating biomechanical tissue stresses/changes as the cycles of collision forces continue & are even amplified throughout a game. In other words, the more the VFs hit each other, & the “harder” they do so…you as the fan, place yourself at higher risk for irritating, inflaming, &/or puffing up (swelling) your VFs (possibly leading to a loss of voice/laryngitis & even pathologies or hemorrhages/bleeds, etc.).
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Decreased hydration (via increased alcohol) can put you at higher risk because your VFs are dry & therefore more prone to injury when “slamming” together (yelling). Colder temperatures will also increase the risk of vocal injury. The Lombard Effect is basically the phenomenon that as noise increases, you will involuntarily “try” to make your voice louder; this is easily a factor at a loud game, bar, or restaurant—possibly causing you to produce voice at much higher decibel (loudness) levels than normal. Cheering while sick is also going to negatively impact vocal fold health as you will be further irritating already irritated VFs.
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Things to keep in mind as you RIGHTFULLY uphold your FAN duties: Stay hydrated, Be picky about the times you cheer throughout the game (using clapping or whistles etc. instead of only the voice), Start easy/slow & work your way to louder voice, Be careful to yell the “healthy” way (supported from your lower belly versus using effort in the throat), Reduce your voice use after the game & possibly the next day, & Make sure you get a good night’s sleep.
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If your voice “changes” during or after a game & does not return to normal after a few days, it’s a good idea to be seen by a medical professional—especially before returning to those stands. GO TEAM, but more importantly, GO (your) VOICE!
Author
Sara Davis, M.A. CCC-SLP
Author
Check out the Meet The Founder page for bio!