Keeping the Voice Healthy

What is the most important preventative measure for having a healthy voice for one's entire life?

Many behaviors recommended for maintaining overall health also help ensure a lifetime of good vocalization. This involves properly hydrating your body with at least 64 ounces of water a day, using adequate support from your abdominal muscles when you speak or sing, and avoiding vocally abusive behaviors such as throat clearing, coughing, yelling, screaming or prolonged loud talking. You should warm up your voice before you use it, just as you stretch before exercising. You should also habitually speak at a pitch that fits your voice.

Eating a healthy diet, exercising your body and your voice regularly, and getting enough sleep are also important factors in vocal health. Managing your stress level can also help. Be careful when taking over-the-counter medications such as aspirin products (Aleve, Motrin, Advil, Aspirin, and Excedrin) as they are blood thinners and can put you at greater risk for sustaining a vocal fold hemorrhage (bleed).

Other medications such as antihistamines can be very drying to the voice. Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics and actually remove fluid from your tissues (including your vocal fold tissue!) Minimize your intake of these beverages, and drink an equal-sized glass of water for every caffeinated or alcoholic beverage you drink to counteract the drying effects. [This is in addition to the 64 ounces of water you should already be drinking.]

By the "National Center for Voice and Speech"

http://www.ncvs.org/e-learning/faqs.html