Latest / The Vocal Hack Podcast / #14 When Should You Go to See a Doctor?
Transcript
- Joana Lisboa: I'm Joana. Assumpta Munsi: And I'm Assumpta. Joana Lisboa: Welcome back to the vocal hack podcast where we explore everything related to voice communication and vocal health Whether you're a professional voice user a singer or someone who simply wants to communicate with confidence. We are here to help you better understand your most valuable instrument Assumpta Munsi: Today we're talking about a question we hear from our clients a lot. How do I know if I should see a voice doctor? Many people ignore vocal symptoms for weeks or even months because they think it's just a bit of hoarseness. Other panic after one difficult day of speaking. So today we're going to help you understand the difference. Joana Lisboa: Let's start by saying something very important. Losing your voice occasionally isn't necessarily a problem. It happens to all of us. If you've been cheering in a football match, speaking for eight hours straight, or recovering from a cold, your voice may need a little rest to recover. That is perfectly normal. Assumpta Munsi: Exactly. Our voices are living instruments. Just like your legs feel tired after a long hike, your voice can feel tired after heavy use. The important question is in, did my voice change? But how long has it been like this and is it getting better? Joana Lisboa: One of the biggest warning signs is hoarseness that lasts for more than two or three weeks without the obvious explanation. If you were sick, it might be normal. If your voice remains rough, breathy, weak or strained even after resting, it's time to get it checked. Assumpta Munsi: And this is something people often underestimate. They think it will probably go away. It's not that bad if I have to clear my throat all the time or that's just how my voice sounds now. Like it just changed like this and now that's the new normal. But sometimes the persistent feeling of having something on your voice can be a sign that your vocal folds need medical attention. The sooner you know what's happening, the easier it often is to treat. Joana Lisboa: Another important sign is pain. Speaking should never hurt. Singing should never hurt. If you regularly feel pain while using your voice, don't try to push it through it. Assumpta Munsi: Joana, think this is one of the most important points you just made because people are used to sore muscles after exercise. So they assume the voice works the same way. I'm not saying that sometimes it can feel like you're a little bit hoarse after you spoke a lot or something like that, but it should never feel like a sharp pain that stays consistently either while you speak or even after. Like that's just something when you know, Wait a second, I either overdid it, I did it wrong or something is seriously wrong because you should not feel pain in your vocal cords. Joana Lisboa: Let's also talk about vocal fatigue. If your voice becomes exhausted after just a short conversation or if it's constantly feel like you have to push to be heard, that's worth investigating. Assumpta Munsi: Exactly. Especially if your job depends on your voice. Like teachers, lawyer, coaches, sales professionals, actors, singers, customer service representatives. there's so many jobs where you really depend on your voice. And if your voice is your working tool, don't wait until you're unable to do your job before asking for help. Joana Lisboa: Yes, another symptom people often ignore is constantly clearing their throat. We mentioned this briefly in another episode, but if you find yourself clearing your throat all day long, it's worth finding out why. Assumpta Munsi: Yes, because throat clearing is usually a symptom, not the problem itself. could be acid reflux, could be allergies, could be irritation, excessive muscle tension, sometimes medication or other things influence the way your vocal folds feel. And it's almost like you have a little layer on top of it that you can't get rid of. It sometimes can even be a mental block. that you're so anxious or nervous that your voice literally tries to protect itself. Treating the cause is much more effective than constantly clearing your throat. Joana Lisboa: Yes, it could be just a nervous habit. Some people do it right before speaking. Like... Something like this. And it's just an habit. If you take it out of your habits before speaking, you're going to feel much confident and much better. terms of local health. People also ask us about losing their voice repeatedly. If every cold leaves you voiceless for weeks or your voice keeps disappearing without much effort, that's another reason to consult a specialist. Assumpta Munsi: Your voice should be resilient. And of course, a virus affects everyone differently. But if losing your voice becomes a pattern, it's worth understanding why. Sometimes there is a medical reason, sometimes it's a technical issue. But often it's a combination of both. Joana Lisboa: So who exactly should you see? Many people don't even know which professional to contact. Assumpta Munsi: The first step is usually an ENT doctor, an ear, nose and throat specialist, Also called an otolaryngologist. If your concern is specifically your voice, try to find one who specialized in voice disorders or laryngology. They can examine your vocal folds with specialized equipment and rule out any medical issues. Joana Lisboa: So how is it called in your native language in German? Assumpta Munsi: In German it's a very long word. It's called Hals, Nasen, Ohrenarzt. Joana Lisboa: Wow! In Portugal Assumpta Munsi: Hahaha Joana Lisboa: it's also a very long word. We usually don't have such long words so it's really something that we use a little bit like tongue twisters. Assumpta Munsi: Yeah. Joana Lisboa: So it's... Assumpta Munsi: It's really funny, like this is I think the longest Portuguese word I ever heard in my life. Joana Lisboa: Thank you. Assumpta Munsi: I also have to say special instruments, this equipment that they use, it's not the most comfortable, but it will remind you a little bit of the COVID test because they normally go with a little camera through your nose so they can see down into your throat. Joana Lisboa: the important thing is to be checked and it doesn't really hurt, it's just not so comfortable, it's just that. Assumpta Munsi: Yeah. Joana Lisboa: And this is where we as vocal coaches fit into the picture. We don't diagnose medical conditions and we never should. Of course we Assumpta Munsi: No, exactly. Joana Lisboa: can advise our students or clients, if we notice some strange soreness in their throat or something different, it happened to me a lot of times to say to my clients, I think it's time to go to the doctor I can feel something is not quite right in your voice. So I think you should be checked, but we don't diagnose, we just recommend and push people to the specialists. Assumpta Munsi: Exactly. think one of the most responsible things that vocal coach can do is recognize when something doesn't sound healthy and then tell the client or the student that it's time to go to a medical professional and get it checked out. And there's nothing wrong or bad about that. But sometimes you just need a different specialist that can actually help you with this. So you know what is happening is actually physical, something in your body and not just question of technique. And sometimes you go and they say like, no, your vocal folds are completely fine. Everything is good. So we know it's time to get a different exercise out or it's time to check what is happening your thoughts while you do that. Like maybe it's actually a mental block that is happening and nothing related to the exercise or your vocal folds like physiology wise. So it's really important to know your place. Joana Lisboa: Yes, yes. I just wanted to add something to really highlight the importance of going to the specialist. Because when we just don't do anything about a throat problem, a voice problem, it might get really serious. People think it's normal to have a hoarse voice. but it's not normal. We are not meant to talk like that. Of course we have moments in our lives that we are speaking like that because of the previous motives we said on this episode, but you should really consult a specialist if you feel that you're for so long with a soreness in your throat. Because you might have very... complicated diseases after. Assumpta Munsi: I also think it's actually quite interesting to really see your vocal folds for the first time because you never see them otherwise. And for me, the first time I saw them, was just before I started studying opera. They had you do a medical exam because they're like, if you have problems, you cannot study this because it's going to be too much pressure on your voice. So I had to do this for the first time and it was so interesting to actually see what is happening inside of your throat because you never get a feeling for it otherwise and how small they are and what incredible job they have to do to make you be able to speak. So just for that, I think that was something super special for me for the first time to actually see that. Joana Lisboa: Yeah, it's so fun to see them vibrating when you do high pitch sounds, they stretch. When you do low pitch sounds, they go a little bit more dense. At least for me, also a very important experience. The good news is that very often once any medical issue has been treated or ruled out, Vocal coaching becomes incredibly effective. We can help rebuild healthy habits, improve efficiency and prevent the same problem from happening again. Assumpta Munsi: I would say it's a real team effort. Doctors diagnose and treat medical conditions. Speech and language therapists or speech language pathologists may provide rehabilitation when needed. And vocal coaches work on healthy vocal technique and efficient voice use. So it's like the Powerpuff Girls Together these professionals can help you get back to speaking and singing comfortably. Joana Lisboa: One thing we'd love to change is the idea that seeing a voice doctor means something is seriously wrong. We don't think twice about seeing a dentist or going to doctor. Our voice deserves the same level of care. Assumpta Munsi: I agree. In fact, professional singers often have routine checkups when nothing is wrong. It's much easier to prevent problems than to recover from them after months of strain. And also if you don't know what your baseline is, like what is your normal, what does your vocal cords look like when they're great, when they're healthy, when they're working well, when everything is in order compared to when not. So if you don't even know the baseline, you don't know what to compare it to. Joana Lisboa: Yeah, so true. Here's a quick recap. Consider seeing a voice doctor if your hoarseness lasts more than two or three weeks, if speaking hurts, because it's not normal, if your voice tires unusually quickly, if you repeatedly lose your voice, or if something simply doesn't feel normal, doesn't feel right. Assumpta Munsi: And remember, your voice is constantly giving you feedback. Listen to it. Pain, persistent changes and ongoing discomfort aren't things to ignore. They are signs that deserve attention. Joana Lisboa: We hope this episode helps you feel more confident about knowing when to seek professional advice in terms of voice health. Looking after your voice isn't only about sounding better. It's about protecting an instrument you'll use for the rest of your life. Treated like smegle in Lord of the Rings. It's your precious! Assumpta Munsi: You're one and only precious, exactly. Joana Lisboa: Yes, yes, you're one and only precious. Yes. Assumpta Munsi: You're and only precious, exactly. found this episode helpful, share it with someone whose voice is part of the work or someone who keeps saying it's probably nothing while sounding hoarse every week or losing their voice constantly or feeling like they're shouting all the time because they can't speak otherwise. share it with someone that you think deserves to hear this, then go to the doctor. Joana Lisboa: Yes. Thank you so much for listening to another episode of the Vocal Hack Podcast. Assumpta Munsi: Don't forget to follow, subscribe and leave us a review if you're enjoying these conversations We'll see you next week with another episode all about voice, communication and a fascinating science behind how we connect with others. See you next week, bye!