Are You in That 25%?

Did You Know….

that approximately 30 million workers (25%) in the United States rely heavily on their voice to carry out their professional duties?  that 50% or so of voice patients feel their vocal problems have a negative effect on their work and also on their social life (76%)? that 65% suffer from depression and 61% have decreased self-esteem as a result of vocal issues?  So learning how to use and care for your voice is not such a far-fetched idea after all! Vocal training and habilitation can prevent vocal impairments through a combination of an evaluation of vocal use and a system of intervention practices.

Some examples of vocally hazardous occupations  are: court lawyers, ministers, aerobic instructors, stock traders, broadcasters, salespeople – just to name a few. Teachers, especially those who teach young children whose voices are high pitched, are at great risk for vocal fatigue and injury. During a regular teaching day, most teachers spend 6-7 hours speaking with little recovery time in-between. Since there is little evidence that human tissue was meant to be exposed to vibration and phonation for such long periods of time, it is no wonder that many teachers suffer from a variety of vocal problems.

Vocology: The Science and Practice.  Titze and Verdolini Abbott