Teachers: Take Care of Your Voice
Some 7.5 million people, including many teachers, have diseases
or disorders of the voice.
It's a lesson worth learning: Teachers who try to do the best possible
job for their students need to take care and preserve what may be
their most valuable teaching asset--their voice.
Teachers are among those professionals who make great demands on their voices;
they talk all day long in the classroom and have to project loud
enough so that all their students can hear them clearly. Unfortunately,
this stress on the voice can lead to health problems.
Some 7.5 million people have diseases or disorders of the voice,
reports the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders (NIDCD), which supports research into the nature, causes,
diagnosis, and prevention of voice disorders. In addition to overuse
of the vocal cords, other causes of voice problems include upper
respiratory infections, vocal nodules or other growths, laryngeal
cancer, and more. Fortunately, most of these disorders can be successfully
treated or avoided. Whether you're a teacher or not, try taking
the following quiz:
If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, you may be experiencing a voice
problem and should consult an otolaryngologist, the physician and
surgeon who specializes in ear, nose, and throat disorders. He or
she can determine the underlying cause of your voice problem.
You may also need to see a speech-language pathologist. He or she can help
you with improving the use of your voice and avoiding vocal abuse.
A speech-language pathologist can provide a good education on the
healthy use of the voice and instruction in proper voice techniques.
Teachers, for example, may want to use a lightweight microphone
and an amplifier-speaker system to reduce vocal strain.
The result: Healthier teachers who can be better instructors for
our nation's students. To learn more about voice disorders, visit
www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/index.asp,
or call toll-free 1-800-241-1044.
Posted on: March 24, 2003
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