How to avoid a Super Bowl injury to your voice

Pbadionate football fans are an integral part of the Super Bowl experience. But the intensity of energy at play or in local bars and restaurants can also be damaging to the voice.

Certain foods and beverages that we consume on match day may also cause stomach irritation and symptoms, such as a dry cough, sore throat, difficulty swallowing and feeling of being sick. a lump in the throat.

As a speech therapist and voice scientist at the Faculty of Health Sciences and Rehabilitation of the University of Pittsburgh, I worked in the clinic with patients who had lost their voice and suffered from vocal lesions due to misuse and harmful vocal behavior.

At major sporting events such as the Super Bowl, fans are so excited and excited to experience an incredible day of play that they often neglect the importance of maintaining good health and wellbeing. -being voices and the consequences that can result in an excessive weekend. use and overindulgence.

The power of communication

The power of communication through speech, language and song is often not fully appreciated until one has lost the ability to communicate. Voice, speech and language problems can have a significant impact on activities of daily living and quality of life and can lead to significant physical, psychological and psychosocial stress. These may include feelings of frustration due to reduced labor productivity, missed work to attend doctor's visits, and inability to communicate effectively with loved ones. Voice disorders can also have a significant impact on children and adolescents, resulting in decreased social interactions with peers and concern about how others perceive them because of changes in the quality of their lives. voice.

According to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), approximately 17.9 million American adults aged 18 or older, or 7.6%, reported having a voice last 12 months. Nearly 9.4 million, or 4%, of adults reported having a voice use problem that lasted a week or more in the past 12 months. These statistics are disturbing given that many human voice disorders can be avoided by using simple strategies to maintain the health and wellbeing of the voice.

Avoid the injured reserve

Every applause from a Super Bowl spectator conveys an important message: a victorious shout, an extended song or a colorful taunt. These emotions can give energy to the players on the field and to the spectators present and make the difference in the final minutes of a highly contested game.

However, the vocal cords of a person, sometimes called "vocal cords", consist of layers of muscle, connective tissue proteins such as collagen and elastin, and a thin layer of epithelium (mucous membrane) . These delicate fabrics are subject to abnormal wear. Repeated cycles of injury and vocal repairs can make the voice hoarse and the symptoms intensify during events such as the Super Bowl, where crowd volume, extreme weather conditions and frequent screaming weigh heavily on the vocal cords.

Fortunately, the vocal chords are able to recover from normal wear, but Rams and Patriotes fans can take several precautions to ensure proper vocal health and wellbeing on match day and beyond:

1. Use proper breathing support when projecting your voice.
2. Avoid excessive and prolonged use of the voice.
3. Allow enough time for the voice to recover after a period of intensive use of the voice.
4. Minimize traumatic activities, such as excessive howling and speech noise on crowd noise.
5. Avoid foods and beverages that cause indigestion and gastric irritation, such as alcohol, caffeine, spicy and greasy foods.
6. Stay hydrated.
7. Avoid environmental exposure to smoke.

In case of vocal trauma during or after the big game, fans should consult their doctor for hoarseness. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, a hoarseness that lasts longer than four weeks or that has no obvious cause, especially in smokers, should be evaluated by an ear doctor, nose and throat, which could be a more serious condition. Once the appropriate diagnosis is made, I recommend using a Speech-Language-Hearing Association-certified speech-language pathologist for specialized speech therapy and approaches to minimizing and preventing voice injury.

Budget for better results

While fans around the world are gearing up to cheer on the chosen team, I advise them to handle their voices in the same way that a coach handles the timeouts. No team wants to enter the final minutes of the match without the opportunity to pause and regroup. She must respect her time out throughout the second half.

Voice conservation measures can be considered in the same way. Whether the fans express their joy for a victory or the disdain of defeat, punctuate the voice and limit the use of vocal extremes will result in improved voice health and allow adequate recovery once the festivities are over. .