Tuesday, 6. August 2024
How can I stop my voice being hoarse? For children’s author Alexandra Wagner the answer is: Inhalation therapy! Her job does not just involve sitting at a desk. She often also reads to children from her books.
She tells us that a hoarse voice is her greatest enemy. Because only if her voice is healthy can she perform back-to-back public readings and use her voice properly.
Voice care and voice hygiene are therefore part of her daily routine, almost like brushing her teeth. And to this end, inhalation therapy is her home remedy for a hoarse voice. In an interview, she explains why.
Alexandra Wagner: For many authors, public readings are just as important, or sometimes even more important, as a source of income than book sales. That makes a healthy voice essential for anyone who writes. You have to have your voice, especially around World Book Day, which is every April, and German Reading Aloud Day.
This is because there are lots of public readings around these two events. Reading Aloud Day is in November – so just the time when colds are doing the rounds. A hoarse voice is then my worst enemy. Because then my voice can’t keep up a week of several public readings a day.
Alexandra Wagner: The worst-case scenario would be for my voice to completely fail and disappear. That would mean having to cancel public readings which I had agreed months in advance and for which I have already made preparations for which I would not be paid if I cancelled.
Fortunately, I have never had to cancel a public reading because my voice has given up completely. But I can’t do my best work either if my voice is hoarse. When you do a public reading, it is important that your voice sounds clear so that you can read out loud clearly with lively and varied intonation. Your voice is more difficult to modulate and control if it is hoarse.
But I have to be able to do that for my public readings. That’s because I change my voice to give my characters their own unique sound and colour as I read. And that only works if my voice is not hoarse. Doing several public readings back-to-back, each of which lasts over an hour, with a hoarse voice can also give you a sore throat and hurt your vocal cords.
Alexandra Wagner: Unfortunately, my vocal cords are the Achilles heel of my vocal system. In the past, I have had laryngitis that went on for weeks and was accompanied by dysphonia, so that means voice disorders like hoarseness, vocal fatigue and an urge to clear my throat. This is triggered by minor infections or in spring and summer by my pollen allergy.
Then I do my inhalation therapy very frequently to look after my voice and as a preventative treatment. As soon as there is an inkling of hoarseness, I start on my inhalation therapy. Hoarseness always starts for me with my voice sounding a touch lower than usual. And if I feel that I have mucus in my throat or have to clear my throat more than usual, I do my inhalation therapy around once a day. If the hoarseness is already pronounced – sometimes it comes on very quickly – I do my inhalation therapy up to three times a day.
If, for example, I have a longer reading trip coming up or lots of readings as I do around Reading Aloud Day, I also do my inhalation therapy – to do something to prevent the hoarseness developing, even if my voice is clear and healthy. While inhalation therapy takes a lot of time, a healthy voice and being able to give a professional performance in my public readings certainly justify the time spent. What else do I do against a hoarse voice? Drink plenty – mainly still water and warm teas –, keep your neck and around your shoulders warm, suck lozenges and only speak if you really have to.
Alexandra Wagner: I find that inhalation therapy with a nebuliser and saline solution is very effective against hoarseness. The droplets that the inhalation device generates reach the vocal cords directly and condition and hydrate them. My specialist phoniatrician says that dry mucous membranes and vocal cords are triggers for hoarseness. She explicitly advised me to use a nebuliser for inhalation therapy – and she should know, as a specialist for diseases and disorders affecting speech, the voice and swallowing.
I also notice that my vocal cords and throat feel less raw after the inhalation therapy. Inhalation therapy swiftly helps reduce the hoarseness in the short and medium term. After the inhalation therapy, the hoarseness hasn’t completely resolved, but I do notice a marked improvement.
Alexandra Wagner: At home, I use the PARI BOY with the PARI LC SPRINT XLent nebuliser, as the device and nebuliser are recommended for the throat and pharynx. When I am out and about for my public readings, I prefer the VELOX, as it is light, quiet and compact and so fits better in my luggage. With the VELOX, I could theoretically do my inhalation therapy in the breaks between public readings. But I do not usually have time for that, even if the inhalation therapy only takes 5 to 10 minutes. The public readings are tightly scheduled and I need the breaks to rearrange things and to eat and drink.
Alexandra Wagner: Usually, I inhale with NaCl 0.9% if my voice is hoarse. The moisture keeps my vocal cords supple. If I have a husky voice with lots of throat clearing or if I can feel an infection with a build-up of mucus coming on, I opt for MucoClear 3% or MucoClear 6%.
These hypertonic inhalation solutions have a higher salt content than standard saline solution, and so reduce swelling and break up mucus. Secretions on the vocal cords are easier to dislodge. This helps me breathe freely without having to clear my throat or give a little cough.
Alexandra Wagner: I usually do my inhalation therapy in the morning after breakfast or in the evening in front of the TV. If the hoarseness is also accompanied by pain or a very raw, dry feeling, I will also sometimes inhale in between to relieve the symptoms. Because – aside from public readings and very occasional research trips – I always work from home, that’s easy to do. I always have the inhalation device and solutions at hand.
Alexandra Wagner works as an editor and author. As part of her work as an author, she regularly gives public readings for children. That means she has to be able to rely on her voice working properly.
Note: The statements made in the report are the individual view of the persons reporting. They do not necessarily reflect the PARI view or the general state of science.
An article written by the PARI BLOG editorial team.
© 2024 PARI GmbH Spezialisten für effektive Inhalation