How to prevent vocal nodules?
What are vocal nodules and how do you get them?
These are all the questions I will be answering in this video.
So, stick around.
Hi!
I am Katarina, speech language pathologist from How 2 Improve Singing and here on this
channel, I share practical tips about using your voice in a healthy way.
So, if this is a topic that interests you, consider subscribing to this channel and hitting
that bell notification icon so that you don’t miss any of my videos.
So, first of all.
If we want to learn how to prevent vocal nodules, we need to know what they are and how you
get them in the first place.
According to Wikipedia, “Vocal cord nodules are bilaterally symmetrical benign white masses
that form at the midpoint of the vocal folds”.
Translated into normal language, it means that vocal nodules are non-cancerous; they
grow on both vocal folds somewhere in the middle and they are whitish.
Other names for vocal nodules are nodes, calluses or singer’s nodes.
The reason why vocal nodules grow in the middle of vocal folds is because that is the place
of the biggest impact when they come together.
When we talk or sing, the vocal folds vibrate at a very high frequency.
They come together and touch each other 100s and even 1000s of times per second when we
produce voiced sounds.
And every time they touch, cells from the surface are damaged and lost.
If you do this over a long period of time, first the vocal folds will get swollen and
overtime with more vocal misuse, a small masses or growth of tissue start appearing on the
vocal folds in the place of the biggest impact.
As a result of these bumps, the vocal folds cannot come together completely when speaking
or singing.
The vocal fold closure will be often times incomplete and therefore, there will be air
escaping between the vocal folds and therefore the voice may sound breathy.
People who have vocal nodules may feel that speaking or singing is effortful and their
vocal endurance may be limited.
Also, the voice will sound hoarse, rough or raspy because the nodules interfere with normal
vibration of the vocal folds.
So, there will be always some degree of hoarseness present.
The voice also may sound low or husky because the mass of the vocal folds is increased.
Singers with vocal nodules usually loose the ability to sing high notes quietly or in general,
loose some of their vocal range they’ve had before.
How do you know if you have vocal nodules?
When you sound hoarse, it does not mean that you have vocal nodules.
You won’t know unless you visit a specialist who will use a visual examination to see your
vocal folds.
This can be a simple indirect laryngoscopy or videostroboscopy.
I talked about these methods in my previous video.
People who are mostly affected by vocal nodules are women, and especially women who like to
talk a lot or women who are voice professionals with high demands on voice use, like singers,
fitness instructors, teachers, and especially music teachers.
I want to stress that vocal nodules do not appear after one night of singing or loud
cheering.
Vocal nodules are a result of long-lasting vocal behaviours with high impact on the vocal
folds.
Examples of such behaviours are excessive or loud talking, excessive coughing or throat
clearing, talking in loud environments, using incorrect vocal technique, straining while
singing and other behaviours.
So, now that we know how vocal nodules develop, we can also determine how to avoid them.
Obvious examples are yelling and screaming for prolonged periods of time.
But also, behaviours which are less obvious, such as coughing and throat clearing, or talking
in noisy environments or singing without proper amplification if you are not properly trained
in this technique.
#2
Learn proper vocal technique when speaking and singing.
How do you know if you are using good vocal technique?
Some signs of poor vocal technique are a feeling of tickling, itching, coughing, pain, discomfort
or tension during or after speaking.
The same applies to singing.
I am sure you have experienced it before.
You try to sing something new or in a slightly different way than before, or you add more
breath pressure or a little grunt to your singing, and you end up with a scratchy feeling
in your throat or the need to stop and cough or clear your throat.
This is your voice telling you that it did not like the way you produced that sound.
If you keep doing it over and over again without paying attention to these signs, you can end
up with vocal nodules in the long run.
So, be in tune with your body and voice and notice these signs.
Singing should never hurt or be painful and you should never end up with a hoarse voice
during or after using your voice.
If you are trying a new technique, make sure that you understand what you need to do to
avoid straining or pushing.
If you have hoarseness that lasts more than 2 weeks, visit a voice specialist to have
your voice evaluated.
It is always easier to treat a voice problem when you catch it early.
#3
Steam your voice!
Benefits of steaming your voice are now well recognized.
Steaming as a hydration method for voice professionals is becoming more and more popular.
I made a video, in which I compared a personal vocal steamer and nebulizer.
If you haven’t seen that video, you can watch it later.
In any case, steaming the old-fashioned way over a pot of boiling water, in a steam room,
hot shower or with a personal steamer is the fastest way to bring moisture to your vocal
instrument.
If you are a professional voice user, you should definitely steam your voice on a regular
basis.
It’s very relaxing!
Try it and you will love it.
#4
Keep that voice hydrated!
I know this piece of advice gets old.
Everyone says: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
But I also know that research shows that most people (in some studies it’s as much as
75% of US population) are not well hydrated.
So, I will keep saying it: keep a bottle of water handy and sip it throughout the day,
add fruits and vegetables with high water content into your diet or add some soups to
your meals.
The bottom line is that dehydrated vocal folds are more susceptible to vocal injuries.
So, if you keep them hydrated, they will be able to self-repair and defend themselves.
#5
Don’t forget to rest your voice!
Schedule periods of vocal rest during days with high demand vocal use.
If you know that you will be using your voice all day long, find periods of time, during
which you will rest your voice.
For example, if you know that you have a full day of vocal lessons during the day and an
evening performance, don’t talk on the phone during your breaks, or don’t talk in the
car on the way to the theater, or be more of a listener at the afterparty.
Make that commitment to preserve your voice whenever possible to give it a chance to restore.
Ok.
And that’s all for today.
In the comments below, let me know which tip you are going to apply right away.
And check out my other videos right here below.
I will see you in the next one.