Prevention of Hearing Loss

Listening is not merely not talking....
It means taking a vigorous human interest in what is being told to us.
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Prevention is Better than Cure.

Don't's and Do's

DON’T’S

- Don’t abuse your voice.

- Don’t clear your throat or cough habitually.

- Don’t yell, cheer or scream habitually.

- Avoid talking over long distances and outdoors.

- Avoid talking in noisy situation/ over loud music / office equipment / noisy classrooms/ in cars, buses, airplanes, etc.

- Don’t try to address large audience without vocal amplification and should be able to lecture at a comfortable loudness.

- Don’t sing or vocalize beyond your comfortable range

-Avoid vocally - abusive nervous habits during public speaking , throat clearing, breath holding, speaking quietly, speaking on insufficient breath, speaking on low or monotone speech, aggressive or low pitched fillers ( “um”…”ah”…)

- Don’t speak extensively during strenuous physical activity / exercise

- Don’t allow your vocal energy to drop so low that the sound becomes rough(“glottal fry”)

- Don’t hold your breath as your planning what to say.

- Avoid tensed voice onset(“glottal attacks”)

- Don’t speak beyond a natural breath cycle and also avoid squeezing out the last few words of a thought with insufficient breath power.

- Don’t tighten your upper chest, shoulders, neck and throat to breathe in or to push the sound out.

- Don’t clench your teeth, tense your jaw or tongue.

- While singing, do not force your voice to stay in a register beyond its comfortable pitch range. Especially don’t force your “chest voice” too high, or your “head voice” into your falsetto range.

- Avoid prolonged use of unconventional vocal sound: whispering, growls, squeaks, imitating animal or machine noises.

- Don’t demand more of your voice than you would the rest of your body.

- Don’t use your voice extensively when you are sick / feeling tired.

- Don’t use your voice when you feel strained.

- Don’t ignore prolonged symptoms of vocal strain, hoarseness, throat pain, fullness, and allergies.

- Don’t expose your voice to excessive pollution and dehydrating agents: cigarette, smoke, chemical fumes, caffeine, pollution, dry air.

- Don’t slouch or adopt unbalanced postures.
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DO’S

- Sip some water , swallowing slowly
- Yawn to relax your throat.

- Hum: to concentrate on resonance sensation.
- Use non - vocal sounds or visual cues to attract attention.

- Find non –vocal ways to discipline children.
- Move closer, so that you can be heard without yelling or use an amplification device / system.

- Learn good vocal projection techniques.
- Reduce background noise when you speak.

- Always face persons you are speaking with.
- Position yourself close to your listeners.
- Wait until students / audience are quite.

- Use a high quality vocal amplification system for public speaking.
- Learn good microphone technique.
- Respect your vocal limits.

- Seek professional voice training.
- Always use an adequate acoustic monitor during vocal performances.
- Never sing high notes which you cant sing quietly

- Monitor and reduce vocal habits that detract from your presentation.
- Learn strategies for effective public speaking

- Prepare your presentation well so that you can relax and attend to good vocal production.
- Avoid aggressive vocal “grunts” while lifting weight or while doing martial arts.
- After aerobic exercise wait until your breathing system can accommodate relaxed voice production.

-Keep your voice powered by breath flow, so the tone carries, varies and rings.
- Allow the vocal pitch to vary as you speak.

- Keep your throat relaxed when you speak.
- Use the breathing muscles and airflow to start speech phrases as with “hm”…
- Speak slowly, pausing at natural phrase boundaries, so your body can replenish naturally, and without strain.

- Allow your body to stay aligned and relaxed so that breathing is natural( your ribcage and abdomen should move freely)
- Keep your upper and lower teeth separated so that your jaw moves freely during speech.
- Learn relaxation exercises for speaking.

- Allow vocal registers to change naturally with pitch.
- Consult a singing teacher to learn techniques for smooth register transitions.
- If you must use conventional sounds for vocal performance, learn techniques that minimize muscle tension and vocal misuse.

- Allow for several periods of voice rest throughout the day.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle
- Rest your voice with your body: It’s too sick!!

- Learn to recognize the first signs of vocal fatigue: Hoarseness, tension, dryness.
- Learn preventive techniques for voice care.
- Consult your doctor if you experience throat symptoms or voice change for more than a few days.

- Keep the air and your body clean and humid.
- Drink 8 – 10 cups of non-caffeinated/non-alcoholic, beverages daily, especially after exercise.
- Learn and use good posture and alignment.