Take a Look!

March 4, 2020

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Have you ever had a day where your voice just didn’t sound like itself?!

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It doesn't happen to me often, but when it does I tend to blame it on the crazy weather in Georgia…freezing cold in the mornings, warms up during the day (sometimes) into the 60s, it has been raining for a month straight (not kidding), there is dry (cold) air outside, central heating on the inside (again, dry air quality), and who knows what else related to allergens outdoors...  

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Well, it’s on these types of days I listen to my body (& my voice)…andddd decide to scope myself to check it out! See first pic. And check out instagram (@voxfit_) to see videos –Video #1 is normal phonation & Video #2 is using my @oovostraw to practice straw phonation while scoping myself. The video on this blog post is the one featuring straw phonation. 

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The orientation is a bit different than when I scope patients and obviously in this example I am using a scope that goes in the bottom of the nose (flexible endoscopy/stroboscopy) versus the one that goes into the mouth (rigid endoscopy/stroboscopy), BUT I definitely am able to get an idea what’s going on “on the inside” and perform several vocal tasks while doing it…including straw phonation (for improved inertive reactance and vocal fold vibration)! Now there’s something fun to do if/when a patient needs to reschedule, right?!

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In all seriousness, I am sharing this because I want to encourage anyone who has noticed a change in his or her voice to consider having a trained professional (laryngologist, otolaryngologist, &/or speech pathologist specialized in voice) take a look on the inside. You never know what you might learn and also just how COOL you might realize it is to visualize YOUR VOCAL INSTRUMENT. It may also help you prioritize your vocal health and vocal efficiency—and encourage you to create a realistic vocal schedule. It may even help you commit to achieving hydration goals or commit to performing 3-5 minutes of straw phonation twice per day!

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Ps—Self-rigid strobe coming next… ;) …and no I did not numb myself and no this is not painful at all. Don’t be nervous if you need a scope, friends! :)