The Environment and Your Voice
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The Environment and Your Voice
Even in our Internet world, our ability to communicate
still includes using our voices. For most people our voices
are our jobs. This is most obvious with singers and public
speakers. So what happens if the voice or speech quality
suffers? Loss of income, of course. So this is serious stuff.
The most common vocal problem is hoarseness. Hoarseness can
be a temporary response to a temporary trauma or a symptom
of serious diseases. Many people can walk into a room full
of smokers and suffer a few hours of hoarseness. As a matter
of fact, this happens so often that many people consider
hoarseness a normal condition. It reminds me of a line the
late comedian Buddy Hackett was famous for. "When I went in
the Army and began eating Army food I found out that
heartburn wasn't normal."
According to Drs Nagarathna and Nagendra, hoarseness is
due to one of three factors:
Spasms of the tissues that control vocal chords
movement
Thickness of the vocal chords from inflammation
Blockage due to phlegm or other mucus conditions
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/may202005/
living122042005519.asp
The first example can come from over usage. You see this
in music fans at a concert. The crowd's enthusiasm creates
a yelling contest. As each fan tries to win the title
"Greatest Fan" the strain on their vocal chords increases.
http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:75Wn3NInSXEJ:
media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/04-056/9-12_2.pdf+vocal+
chords,+inflammation&hl=en
Inflammation is due to the body's response to some foreign
material. The leading cause of inflammation is household
mold. When spores are breathed in and get lodged on the
vocal apparatus, fungal parasites can grow rapidly. The
throat is an ideal growing environment. It is warm,
moist and there is a good source of nutrition...YOU.
In cases of individuals with suppressed immune systems,
the parasites can actually overgrow and coat the throat
and mouth.
As the parasites grow they burrow into the mucosa (skin)
of the throat. As they do so, the body responds with the
typical inflammatory response. This includes redness
swelling and spasming of the tissues.
http://www.bogartsdaddy.com/bouvier/Health/vocal_chord_
paralysis.htm
Since sound is based on air space, this swelling changes
tones and other harmonics. Now if you sing like me this
is no great problem. I have actually been asked by
churches to keep quiet. "The Angels are complaining."
Mold doesn't just attack the vocal apparatus in the throat.
It also imbeds itself in the sinus cavities. The sinus can
become clogged with polyps and nodules. These are the
body's attempt to defend against the invaders. Sounds can
be affected.
If the sinuses get infested with fungus, the body also
produces an increase in mucosal fluids (snot and phlegm).
This drains down the back of the throat causing chocking
throat irritation, and blockage.
In worse case scenarios, inflammation can lead to necrosis
of vocal chords. Long term the swellings block blood flow
and cell death can occur. In really worst case scenarios,
cancer is possible.
Now that I have scared the pants off you, lets talk
solutions.
If you Google the Internet, you get 336,000 hits on vocal
chords. Most of these hits deal with solutions to vocal
chord problems, i.e. ways of getting rid of hoarseness and
sore throats. There are a wide range of pills (with their
wide range of side effects), sprays, Chinese herbs,
acupuncture and even Yoga.
We recommend a blend of citrus extracts.
http://www.tennesseemold.com/shop/index.php
It is topically soothing and rids the body of the fungal
parasites that cause the problem.
An even better solution is to avoid contamination in the
first place. Most of the people with fungal problems picked
them up at work or at home. Usually it is caused by poor
ventilation and water.
Whatever you do DON"T try to kill the fungus with bleach
or poisons. They don't work and they tend to burn the
throat. We are trying to get rid of throat problems, not
exchange one for another.
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About the Author
DrGraham@themoldlab.com
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