Voice is an important part of communication. When we lose our voice, how do we communicate our wants and needs? Gestures, facial expressions and written messages do help, however, using our voice can be so powerful when communicating with others.
The quality, pitch and volume of our voice convey additional meaning to what we are saying to our communication partner. It often tells the person how you are feeling (“No, I love YOU more”).
It also tells me, as a speech pathologist, how well a person is physically.
Take for example, a person with Parkinson’s Disease. As a speech pathologist, I can often tell how advanced the disease is by the strength/volume and quality of the voice. I will ask when my client received their diagnosis and the time lapse often correlates with the decline of vocal ability. As the condition progresses, the voice volume often gets quieter and the quality of the voice is often monotone.
We speech pathologists can help to improve voice volume with specific techniques designed to enhance the use of breath support and voice volume in conversational speech. This then allows the person to communicate in a functional manner to get his/her message across in conversation. It allows the person to communicate more effectively on the phone, in a café, in a busy hospital ward.
There are many possible causes for voice issues. If you are ever concerned about your voice, I would recommend reading the voice fact sheet located on the Speech Pathology Australia website (link attached) and speak with a speech pathologist or your family doctor. It is always better to ask questions and act early, as you can often prevent long term voice problems by contacting a specialist.
🙂 CB