How do you take care of your voice?
08/11/2024
It’s crucial to give your voice the care it deserves. Your voice is a delicate instrument that requires thoughtful maintenance, especially during seasonal challenges like colds or allergies.
In 2020, I created 3 webinars on SOS Voice, covering what to do (and not do) to keep your voice in top form, which are now part of the The singsing! Sofa Library:
Part 1: Vocal rest – Effects of meds on your voice – The common cold – Allergies – Airway infections – Hydration – Herbs & supplements
Part 2: Reflux – Voice & hormones – Safety measures for intubation
Part 3: Warm-ups, Cool-downs & Emergency aid
Subscribe to the Library, to watch all of them! Here are three of the many essential voice care strategies we’ve discussed in SOS Voice Part 1:
1. Stay hydrated, but wisely
When it comes to caring for your voice, hydration is essential—both systemically (through drinking water) and topically (through hydrating the surface of the mucosa).
Drinking plenty of water is the first and most important step. It hydrates your body as a whole, including the mucus membranes and vocal folds, which rely on adequate moisture to stay flexible and healthy. Drinking water doesn’t instantly hydrate the vocal folds because it first needs to be absorbed by the body and circulated through the bloodstream before reaching the tissues that keep the vocal folds moist.
Sometimes your throat and vocal folds need a more direct boost of moisture, especially if they’re irritated or overworked.
This is where topical hydration methods like steaming or using a nebulizer come in.
- Steaming, which involves inhaling warm vapor, can be soothing and effective for taking care of your upper airways, but its droplets are too large to reach the vocal folds directly.
- Nebulizers, used with sterile saline solution, deliver a mist of fine droplets that can more effectively reach and hydrate the vocal folds. This makes nebulizing especially useful for singers and speakers looking to optimize vocal health immediately.
Watch the webinar to learn all the details on how to combine systemic and the right topical hydration; and keep your voice in top condition!
2. To shut up or not to shut up… That’s the question!
In the webinar, I explained that sometimes, resting your voice entirely is crucial, but it’s not always the best or only solution!
In cases of laryngitis or extreme hoarseness, silence is essential, because speaking or singing could further irritate or damage your voice, delaying recovery.
However, there are times when gentle, controlled vocal exercises, such as semi-occluded vocal tract exercises (SOVTs), are much more beneficial and help your voice recover much quicker than total voice rest! These exercises – for example singing through a straw, lip trills, lax vox or just gentle humming – allow for minimal vocal fold impact while helping keep the voice flexible. Consider it physiotherapy for your voice. Recovering from for example an ankle injury happens much faster with controlled movement. The same rule goes for your voice! In the webinar SOS Voice Part 3, I go much deeper into SOVTs, make sure to watch it.
The key is knowing when silence is needed versus when safe exercises can be helpful, as each approach has its place depending on the condition of your voice.
3. Beware of medications that affect your voice
Some common medications that you take for other purposes than voice care can dry out your throat and / or vocal folds. You might be taking NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to reduce pain, fever and other types of inflammation. However, you should know that they increase the risk of a vocal fold bleed when combined with strong voice use like singing loudly and / or for a long time! Common over-the-counter NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium.
Watch the webinar to learn about other meds you should know about because they might have a detrimental effect on your voice.
If you must take medication, talk to your healthcare provider about voice-safe alternatives, especially if you’re a professional voice user.
As the possible effects of medications on the voice – not just pain killers – is a very important topic, I have decided to invite a knowledgeable speaker on this subject and dedicate a whole webinar and subsequent blog post on it in 2025. Subscribe to the newsletter to stay updated!
I hope this blog post helps you protect your voice for the long haul. Remember, these tips are only the beginning! A deeper dive into voice care involves practicing specific vocal exercises and learning more about safe recovery strategies.
Stay tuned for the upcoming webinar on what you should know about the unexpected effects of medications on the voice!
Keep an eye on this page, because I’ll soon share a few more blog posts with tips I’ve shared in SOS Voice Part 2 & 3. Don’t want to wait? Subscribe to the Library and get immediate access to the 3 webinars on SOS Voice!
May your voice stay strong, clear, and ready to take on the day!
Sarah Joyce - Singer & Voice Teacher
Manon Campens - Singer
Janet Wilson - Singer
As always, feel free to send me your thoughts, questions, and feedback in the comments below this blog, via the contact form or in the singsing! online community 
Cordially,
Sarah