Are you asking yourself: why is my voice hoarse?
And are you wondering how to get rid of hoarseness?
Then, keep on watching because in this video, I am going to share some of the most common
causes of hoarseness of voice so that you can recognize them and eliminate them to keep
your voice healthy.
So, don’t go anywhere and we’ll start right after this.
Hi and welcome!
If we haven’t met before, I am Katarina from How 2 Improve Singing and here on this
channel, I share tips on how to use your voice in a healthy and efficient way.
So, if you are new here, consider subscribing to my channel and hitting that bell notification
below this video.
Now, if you are watching this video because you experience hoarseness of voice, I am curious
to know how long you’ve had this problem.
A few days, weeks or always?
Leave me a comment down below.
Let’s start with the definition of hoarseness.
What does hoarseness mean?
Hoarseness is a word that describes abnormal voice changes.
A hoarse voice can sound breathy, strained or raspy.
A singer or a person who experiences hoarseness of voice, may suddenly have a deeper voice,
or is unable to sing high and soft notes, or his voice may become weak and breathy.
Now, let me make clear that hoarseness is a symptom, not a disease.
What does it mean?
Hoarseness is a sign indicating that there is some kind of voice issue present.
And there can be a number of conditions that manifest themselves as hoarseness of voice.
Let’s look at some of them together: Vocal Fold Swelling
Vocal fold swelling is a build up of fluid just beneath the superficial layer of the
vocal folds.
As a result, the vocal folds become thick and therefore, they cannot function in a normal
way.
Usually, when you experience vocal fold swelling, your voice suddenly becomes deeper and you
may sound hoarse and husky.
Also, when vocal folds are swollen, you lose the ability to speak or sing at higher frequencies
softly.
The greater the amount of swelling, the greater the loss of vocal range.
What are the causes of vocal fold swelling?
The most common cause of vocal fold swelling is an upper respiratory infection, such as
common cold or flu.
But swelling of the vocal folds can also occur when vocal folds work overtime, for example
in voice professionals with high vocal commitments.
But also excessive coughing, throat clearing or inadequate vocal technique can cause vocal
fold swelling.
Hoarseness when singing is also very common.
I talk more about the reasons of vocal fold swelling in another video.
You can click here to watch it.
Organic Causes of Hoarseness When the structure of the vocal folds is changed,
we talk about organic causes.
This can be something innocent like a vocal nodule or it can be a more serious problem,
such as cancer.
In any case, the vocal folds cannot vibrate properly because this extra bump or growth
is preventing the vocal folds from coming together completely or vibrate properly.
When the vocal folds cannot come closely together, you sound breathy and weak.
You can either have a hoarse voice quality only in some parts of your vocal register
or throughout the whole vocal range.
If you sound raspy in your whole range, then there is something affecting a big portion
of the vocal folds.
If you sound hoarse only in a specific area of your vocal range, then the grows or change
is probably smaller in size.
The most common hoarse voice causes in this case are behaviours that abuse, misuse or
overuse your voice, for example behaviours like yelling, chronic throat clearing or inadequate
vocal technique when singing or talking.
If you use these behaviours for prolonged periods of time or on a regular basis, they
may cause structural changes on the vocal folds, such as vocal nodules.
Less common causes are fungal infections and cancer.
Non-Organic Causes of Hoarseness In this case of hoarseness, there is nothing
wrong with the structure of the vocal folds.
However, the function of the larynx or the muscles around it is impaired causing hoarseness
of voice.
For example, in some instances, the vocal folds can come together and vibrate absolutely
normally but the voice quality is affected by increased tension of muscles surrounding
the larynx.
This happens for example, when you chronically strain your voice or use muscles that are
not necessary for producing sounds.
Having a hoarse voice, meaning having raspy, rough or breathy voice quality, is very common
among singers who don’t use proper vocal technique.
To help you uncover some possible reasons of your hoarseness, get a free checklist of
abusive vocal behaviours.
You may be engaging in these behaviours every day and not know that they are harming your
voice.
So, click this link or a link in the description below and download it now.
The bottom line is that a hoarse voice is a warning sign.
If you experience hoarseness of voice, without the presence of a common cold or flu, it is
time to start looking for a solution.
If your hoarseness lasts for more than 2 weeks, if you suffer from recurring hoarseness, or
if your voice is chronically hoarse, it is time to talk to a voice specialist who can
actually look at your vocal folds and assess their structure and function.
So, if you are saying: my voice is hoarse after singing, or my voice is always hoarse,
it’s time to call your doctor and ask for a referral to an ENT doctor (ear-nose and
throat doctor) who specializes in voice problems.
Once you know if your hoarseness is caused by vocal fold swelling, organic or non-organic
causes, then you can start treating your hoarseness appropriately.
But that is a topic for another video.
In my next video, I am going to tell you how to get rid of hoarseness due to vocal fold
swelling fast.
So, consider hitting that subscribe button and the bell icon so that you get notified
when the new video goes live.
If you liked this video, click the like button and share it with your friends.
Stay in touch and don’t forget to check out my other videos on this topic.
I will link them down below.
So, see you soon.