June 10, 2019
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Life should include FUN…and I highly encourage you to have A LOT of it…BUT as an occupational voice user, it’s important to BE AWARE of the effects a fun “night out” might have on your instrument.
Let's Go Out!!
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Sooo let’s say you aren’t the designated driver. Did you know that alcohol negatively affects vocal folds by irritating and drying them out? Research (Verdolini, Titze) shows that well-hydrated vocal folds vibrate with less “push” from the lungs, as compared to dry folds (especially at high pitches), and also that well-hydrated vocal folds may resist injury from voice use more than dry folds, and may also recover better from existing injury. Exposure to smoke (of any type) will produce the same effects of dehydration and irritation, and can even dramatically inflame the delicate vocal fold tissues to the point of aphonia (no voice) because they are too stiff and swollen to vibrate (produce a sound). The increased inflammation of the vocal folds makes them heavier, so there will be a decrease in pitch as well—kinda hard to hit those high notes or make it through teaching a whole class the next day if your vocal folds are heavy and barely vibrating.
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These issues also cause the body to create excess mucus to try and heal and hydrate itself…and then you just feel sticky mucus and want to throat clear (which prompts the slamming of already irritated/inflamed delicate vocal fold tissues). Alcohol consumption can also lead to dilated blood vessels and capillaries, which can disrupt normal bloodflow to the larynx and possibly set you up for a bleed within the delicate tissues as well—in any case your vocal fold vibration will be impaired and this will have a negative impact on vocal quality and use patterns. To reduce risk of needing to call off Monday because you can’t talk, offset every alcoholic drink with a glass of water and get away from that smoke (not kidding).
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I know what you’re thinking—well that is going to prevent me from being “drunk”. Well, likely YES, but hopefully that is the case because when/if intoxicated, we are more prone to be uninhibited in how we use our voices (ex: talk louder, strain over music or background noise, shriek, shout, scream, etc.), and this can set the vocal folds up for risk of injury. As an occupational voice user though, shouldn't your voice be your top priority...not your level of intoxication?...at least on days on or around vocal commitments? In general, sporting events, restaurants, bars, clubs, parties, and even professional gatherings etc. may put your vocal instrument at risk. Unintentionally, you will likely strain over the background noise to communicate with others and not realize the volume or effort level you are using to do so. Ever imagine what would happen if someone hit the mute button at a loud bar or club?…We would all be screaming at each other, that’s what. It’s no wonder our voices feel tired after a night out. Speaking of tired, late nights and early (or late) mornings do not promote good sleeping habits—and sleep is where the vocal fold tissues heal themselves. Adequate sleep is essential for healthy and optimal function of the vocal mechanism.
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Let’s get really REAL here and also mention that if you happen to puke because of a few too many tequila shots, that gastric material (possibly including food, liquid, acid, and/or bile) will be passing up through your delicate (and irritated) laryngeal area. Acid is extremely damaging and will further irritate your instrument.
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By the end of the night (or the next morning), you may discover you are “hoarse”, and by this time some damage to the vocal fold tissues may already have been done. To prevent this not-so-exciting discovery, consider protecting your VOICE while you have FUN!! And just in case it isn’t super clear… IF you are still going to go out “hard” but want to prevent your activities from having a negative impact on your VOICE since you NEED your voice for your job(s), keep these things in mind: reduce/eliminate alcohol intake or offset it with water, reduce or eliminate exposure to smoke, reduce/eliminate talking in background noise (enjoy the music or move to an area further from the noise/speaker/etc. if talking to others), and make sure you baby your vocal folds after a night out (hydrate, sleep, perform vocal exercises the next day like resonant humming and lip trills or straw phonation).
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And if you don't know, now ya know... ;)
Author
Sara Davis, M.A. CCC-SLP
Author
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