What to avoid |
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- clearing your throat and coughing a lot
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- drink water, swallow, hum, cough silently
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- speaking over background noise or from a long distance
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- turn down noise
- choose quiet restaurants or find a quiet corner at a party
- be no more than an arm's length away from the person you're talking to
- use an intercom system or walkie-talkies between rooms at home
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- yelling, screaming, and cheering
- making unusual noises (e.g., animal noises, special effects, forced whispering, harsh laughing)
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- use noise makers, clapping, foot stomping, or hand signals to get someone's attention
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- talking too fast, too loud, too high, too low, or when you're almost out of air
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- speak in a comfortable pitch range, keeping muscles relaxed in your shoulders, neck, jaw, tongue, and face
- breathe easily and often while you're talking and make sure you take a breath when you run out of air
- breathe from your belly to help make the sound of your voice
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- clenching your jaw or teeth
- holding the telephone between your shoulder and chin
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- let your jaw move easily
- open your mouth when talking
- use a telephone headset
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- talking or singing to large groups without a microphone
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- use an amplification system that's loud enough for the room
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- talking too much
- talking a lot when you're ill or when your voice is already strained
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- give your voice rest breaks throughout the day
- spend less time talking
- rest your voice if it takes effort to talk
- do more listening
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- caffeine, including pop, coffee, tea, chocolate
- alcohol
(these may dry the throat)
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- drink 7 to 10 glasses of water a day
- drink herbal tea or non-caffeinated drinks
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- any foods that give you heartburn or acid reflux (stomach acid going back up your throat can damage your vocal chords)
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- talk to a doctor if you're often hoarse, have heartburn, or feel like you have a lump in your throat
- wait 2 to 3 hours before lying down after eating if you tend to get heartburn
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- using throat lozenges (they may numb your throat and hide a problem)
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- drink water
- suck a non-medicated hard candy
- talk to a doctor if your sore throat doesn't get better
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- smoking, second-hand smoke, and other air pollutants
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- don't smoke
- stay away from polluted environments
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- anything that causes you a lot of stress and upsets you
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- practice relaxation techniques for your body, especially your head, neck, jaw, and shoulders
- think about talking to a health care provider if you're worried about your level of stress or emotions
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- singing beyond a comfortable pitch or loudness range
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- warm up your voice, starting softly with mid and low pitches, then gradually go higher and louder
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