Category Archives: Vocal Health Articles

articles about vocal health

Salivary Glands

salivary

Salivary Glands Where Are Your Salivary Glands? The glands are found in and around your mouth and throat. We call the major salivary glands the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands. They all secrete saliva into your mouth, the parotid through tubes that drain saliva, called salivary ducts, near your upper teeth, submandibular under your tongue, and the sublingual through many ducts in the floor of your mouth. Besides these glands, there are many tiny glands called minor salivary glands located … read more >>

Maintaining Vocal Health Chart

Maintaining Vocal Health Chart

While the full sized vocal health chart below is largely self-explanatory, three factors contributing to vocal distress taken from Thurman’s articles perhaps need some explanation. Disease Circumstances (such as allergies or viral colds) and Aggravating Circumstances (such as lack of sleep, and spending time in smoky or polluted air) are factors which can cause vocal distress. Predisposing Circumstances include Psychological Stress Reaction – becoming emotionally upset. The emotional tension often associated with such distress has a negative impact on the voice. Persons who suffer from what is commonly called “stage fright” experience the shortness of breath, “lump in throat” and other symptoms which impair good vocal production. Under Heredity, Thurman includes individuals whose vocal mechanism tires at an abnormally fast rate.

Vocal Health Chart:

The following flow chart graphically depicts procedures for maintaining good vocal health:

vocal health chart

Maintaining Vocal Health

Maintaining Vocal Health Chart

Maintaining Vocal Health David Otis Castonguay Radford University email: dcastong@radford.edu View Maintaining Vocal Health Graphic Chart For many school-aged singers, the choral director is the only significant source of professional instruction and advice they will ever receive about their voice. The choral director is their first line of defense for vocal health. A conductor’s skill at diagnosis of vocal faults must be matched by a willingness to refer students to the proper health care professional. This is a copy of … read more >>

Hoarse Throat

Doctor, Why Am I Hoarse? What Is Hoarseness? Hoarseness is a general term that describes abnormal voice changes. When you have a hoarse throat, the voice may sound breathy, raspy, strained, or there may be changes in volume (loudness) or pitch (how high or low the voice is). The changes in sound are usually due to disorders related to the vocal folds that are the sound producing parts of the voicebox (larynx). While breathing, the vocal folds remain apart. When … read more >>

Disorders Of Vocal Abuse

  Disorders of Vocal Abuse and Misuse In this article… What Are Vocal Abuse and Misuse? How Is Voice Produced? Who May Be at Risk for a Disorder of Vocal Abuse or Misuse? What Are Some of the Disorders of Vocal Abuse and Misuse? How Are Disorders of Vocal Abuse and Misuse Diagnosed? How Are Disorders of Vocal Abuse and Misuse Treated? What Research Is Being Conducted on Disorders of Vocal Abuse and Misuse? Where Can I Get More Information? What … read more >>

Disorder Basics

Make sure to read: Maintaining Vocal Health! The Basics: Disorders of Vocal Abuse and Misuse Have you "lost" your voice? When you abuse or misuse your voice, you can damage your vocal folds, causing temporary or permanent voice changes such as Laryngitis Vocal nodules & vocal cord polyps Contact ulcers Who Is At Risk? Anyone who uses his or her voice excessively may develop a vocal abuse or misuse disorder. These problems are fairly common among Pastors & Ministers Worship … read more >>