

It's an autoimmune disease that causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in your joints. Learn ways you can allergy-proof your environment. This may harm your vocal cords, which need moisture to work. Antihistamine drugs for allergies can dry out mucus in your throat.Coughing and clearing your throat can strain your vocal cords.Postnasal drip - when mucus moves from your nose into your throat - can irritate your vocal cords.An allergic reaction can cause your vocal cords to swell.But they can also take a toll on your voice in several ways: When you think about allergies, you probably think of a runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing. It can cause your voice to become low, breathy, and hoarse.įind out how smoking can also affect your heart. Smoking can also raise your risk of developing a small, noncancerous growth called a polyp on your vocal cords. Studies show that former and current smokers are about three times more likely to have a voice disorder than people who never smoke. Cradle your phone between your head and shoulderĬigarette smoke irritates your vocal cords, which can lead to long-term voice problems.Use a pitch that's higher or lower than normal when you talk.

Here are some common things that you may be doing wrong: The wrong technique can also bring on hoarseness. Just like other muscles in your body, overuse of the ones that help you speak can lead to fatigue, strain, and injury.

You Use Your Voice Too MuchĮach time you talk or sing, you use different muscles, including some in your mouth and throat. Learn more ways to treat the common cold. Your volume will return when you recover. Rest your voice and drink plenty of fluids. Then your vocal cords swell, which affects the way they vibrate. Your voice makes sounds when they vibrate.Ī cold can throw a wrench into this smooth-running machine. When you speak, air passes through the voice box in your throat and hits the two bands called vocal cords. Too much singing in the shower, you wonder, or is something more serious to blame?Ĭheck out these culprits that could explain why you're hoarse. Pretty soon all that your friends can hear is a lot of croaking when you try to speak up. Maybe you first notice something is wrong when your normally clear-as-a-bell voice gets a little bit husky.
