We've all spoken something that we have regretted immediately.
Yeah, yeah…we have all been there.
You must have promised that you would never speak again.
Before you take such a promise think again!
Then there have been times when we experience mental or physical trauma, which somehow affect
our vocal chords.
These situations could easily obstruct our speech.
What would happen to your voice then?
So come on, let’s find out what would happen to your voice if you just stopped talking?
Is it true that if you don't use your voice, you lose it?
Number 1.
Your Vocal Cords Would Wither Away Your vocal cords are actually muscles.
Like any other muscle in the body, they grow stronger with usage.
If you don’t use your voice at all, then they grow weaker.
So, if you stopped speaking, the laryngeal muscle would experience atrophy.
In simple words, the voice box will wither away and you could potentially lose your voice.
The longer you are silent, the perilous the effect.
The flexibility of the vocal chords will deteriorate with each passing day.
Even if you want to use your voice again, you won’t be able to do so immediately.
The vocal chords would not be as taut as they used to be.
Number 2.
The Volume Of Your Voice Could Be Reduced Yes, your vocal chords could become slack.
If you think this doesn't sound so bad, then think again.
This condition is also known as presbylaryngis.
Now that is a complex medical term.
In simpler words this means, well… a lot of things.
In fact, it represents a set of conditions that would reduce the quality of your voice.
The biggest impact of this condition would be a reduction in the volume of your voice.
Speaking loudly or shouting will not be as effective as it had been before.
It is going to be extremely difficult to talk on the day you decide to break your silent
endeavor.
On the first try, there could be a chance that no noise comes out of your mouth.
Number 4.
The Pitch Of Your Voice Would Be Raised Now when you are on a vow of silence, then
your larynx is relaxed.
The tissue fibers of the voice box lose their flexibility considerably.
When you resume the usage of your speech, it requires extra effort.
Since the larynx is not as taut, there is a lot of resistance.
A lot of effort is required to make the feeble of vocal sounds.
The volume of the voice box would have considerably reduced due to the inactivity.
As a result, the noise that comes out of your mouth will be shrill and squeaky.
You would sound more like Bernadette from Big Bang Theory.
Not a problem, eh?
The outcome would be more hilarious if you sounded like Darth Vader before.
Number 5.
Overall, There Wouldn’t Be Much Of A Difference What would happen to your voice if you just
decided to stop speaking?
Experts say that it won’t make much of a difference.
In fact, majority of the muscles used by the human body for speaking, are perennially in
use.
Apart from talking, these muscles function in other activities as well.
Diaphragms help us to make movements that are critical to the breathing process.
The muscles we use to control our vocal cords are involved in everything.
From clearing one's voice to coughing, from swallowing to eating, these muscles are responsible
for these actions as well.
In fact, if you are forcing out a sticky and shitty poop turd out of your bum, these muscles
play a major role.
There might be some trouble with vocal control, just because you'd be out of practice.
But your vocal folds would probably still be in fine shape.
They would not completely atrophy.
Terry Wallis, woke from a 19-year coma in 2003.
Of course, during this time period, he did not engage in speaking.
When he woke up, he somehow managed to say, "Mom.
Pepsi.
Milk."
Number 6.
Your Brain Will Need Some Time To Recover Your voice isn’t the only thing that has
been affected.
Your brain’s been deprived of its normal functioning too.
Broca’s area, located in the frontal lobe of the cerebrum is what controls your speech.
It will take some time to recover its normal functions.
If you stop speaking, the number of neurons that are active for the processes of making
speech, will get smaller.
The neurons which were once active for speech will be assigned by the cerebrum for other
activities.
This is the reason why blind people tend to have really excellent power of hearing.
The regions of the brain that handle motor control, and the ones that ease the production
of speech, will in all probability shrink.
However, the neurons that are handling perception probably won't change much, given that the
person leads a normal social life, apart from talking.
Hearing and talking are all part of an integrated system.
This could very well hinder the rate at which neurons assigned to speech become designated
to other cognitive processes.
So if you are a bit hazed out, and find yourself groping for the right words, then don’t
panic.
It’s just that your brain is getting used to speak again.
Number 7.
You Might Forget The Norms And Expectations Of Interaction
Conversation requires the knowledge and ability to use a language along with the psychological
disposition.
It also requires that the speakers engage in conversation methods that are consistent
with the social organization of conduct.
This ability will be lost if a healthy, able-bodied person does not speak for an extended period
of time.
Social competencies are obtained due sheer linguistic capabilities.
If you refrain from speaking, you might also forego the knowledge of the patterns, routines,
and rules of conversation, which we share with other people.
So, is there anything else that you think we missed out in this list?
Tell us in the comment section below.
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