Avoid attempting to talk over background noise such as music, television or car engine noise, as this causes you to try to raise the volume, which can be damaging. ![]() Don’t deliberately choose to whisper this does not “save” the voice it puts the voice box under strain.Don’t worry if all that comes out is a whisper or a croak just avoid straining to force the voice to sound louder. Even in the early stages of the virus, when the voice is at its worst, using the vocal cords for a few short utterances every so often during the day keeps them mobilised, and this is a good thing. You do not need to be on total voice rest, i.e.Avoid medicated lozenges and gargles, as these can contain ingredients that irritate the mucosal lining of the throat. Chewing gum or sucking sweets can help promote saliva flow, which lubricates the throat and can help to reduce throat clearing.Taking small sips of cold water can help to supress the urge to cough. However, once this stage of the illness passes, try to avoid persistent, deliberate throat clearing and, if you can’t prevent it, make it as gentle as possible. When the virus is at its peak, coughing is likely to be intense and unavoidable.The steam should not be so hot that it brings on coughing. Breathe in and out gently through your nose or mouth. Try gentle steaming with hot water (nothing added to the water).Drink 1½ – 2 litres (4 – 5 pints) of fluid that doesn’t contain caffeine or alcohol per day (unless advised otherwise by a doctor). What Can You Do To Protect Your Vocal Cords And Help Them To Heal? It can feel uncomfortable and hard work to speak when your vocal cords are in this state. This means that they are unable to vibrate freely, so the sound of the voice changes, often becoming rougher and deeper-pitched or possibly no more than a whisper. When vocal cords become swollen and inflamed, as they are in pictures 3 and 4, they become stiff and less flexible. This level of coughing gives the vocal cords quite a battering consequently, they can become swollen and inflamed. Coughing brings the vocal folds forcefully together to allow strong expulsion of air, clearing any mucus from your lungs and throat. When you have COVID-19 you are likely to experience excessive and prolonged attacks of coughing. This vibration is the sound of the human voice. In order to produce voice, we bring the vocal cords together (see picture 2) and gently blow air through them from the lungs below, which causes their delicate membranes to vibrate. Pictures 1 and 2 are photos of healthy vocal cords. ![]() Vocal cords sit in the voice box (also known as your larynx or Adam’s apple) at the top of the wind pipe. The following advice will help your vocal recovery. We anticipate that these voice problems may take 6 – 8 weeks to gradually resolve. These changes are similar to the changes you would expect to experience with a cold or 'flu, but are expected to be more intense and longer lasting. As a result of the COVID-19 virus you may experience some temporary changes to the sound of your voice, and to your comfort and effort levels when using it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |