A “shrunken” voice differs from a normal voice in three ways: it is low, hoarse, and quiet. If the voice is quiet, this means that the amplitude of the oscillations is small, that is, the vocal cords hit the air weaker than usual. The voice is low – it means that the frequency of the sound is reduced, that is, the vibrations become less frequent. And hoarseness, in this case, suggests that the vocal cords do not hit the air at the same time, as a result of which sounds of different frequencies arise, which add up in our ear into a discordant choir, and the voice seems “dirty”, trembling. In other words, the voice poses when the vocal cords stop closing quickly and synchronously.
Voice Disorders Reasons
There may be several reasons for this. The first, most common cause is a problem in the vocal cords themselves. The nerve impulse goes to the vocal cords, but there is not enough muscle strength to properly close them. This is most often due to swelling of the vocal cords.
Edema – the accumulation of fluid and swelling of the tissue – most often occurs due to inflammation. For example, some bacteria settled in our throat (we regularly breathe them, and usually the immune system manages to destroy them, but sometimes it can’t cope). Their waste products enter the bloodstream, activating the immune system. The first thing that happens, in this case, is a vascular reaction: the walls of blood vessels become more permeable to blood. This is necessary so that immune cells can penetrate tissues and attack bacteria there. Therefore, with inflammation of the airways, all nearby tissues swell, including the vocal cords. At the same time, their shape changes, their size increases, and it becomes more difficult to close them. Hence the quiet, low, and hoarse voice.
But swelling of the vocal cords is not always caused by cold. The voice can drop down if the person suffers from gastroesophageal reflux, a disease in which stomach acid is thrown up into the esophagus. It reaches the vocal cords and irritates them, resulting, again, in inflammation. Another example is a “smoky” voice. The tars that the smoker inhales, settle on the walls of the respiratory tract and cause inflammation not only in the lungs but also in the larynx.
Swelling of the vocal cords can be treated, like any inflammation, with anti-inflammatory drugs, warming up, and hot drinks. But the popular warming with alcohol can lead to the opposite effect. Alcohol is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water. Therefore, settling on the vocal cords, it only increases their swelling. And a few glasses of wine can deprive an enterprising patient of even the remnants of a shrunken voice.
There are more serious problems of the vocal cords besides edema – this is their mechanical rupture or swelling of the throat. In these critical cases, surgery is required.
The second reason for a lifeless voice is a problem with the muscles that stretch the vocal cords. As a rule, such problems arise when a person is very tired or nervous, and the recipe here is simple – to calm down and relax.
There is a third, much rarer reason – problems with the transmission of nerve impulses to the vocal cords. This is observed, for example, in partial paralysis or Parkinson’s disease. In such cases, it is quite difficult to solve voice problems and you will need the help of a doctor, sometimes even surgery.
So know you know what to avoid and how to “maintain” your voice in a decent condition, sometimes it’s not easy but it’s important especially if you are a singer or a public speaker.