If your voice still gets tired when you use it a lot does that mean you have vocal fatigue?
It’s very easy to use the term vocal fatigue as a catch-all for any kind of voice problems. In the past there has been no clear definition of vocal fatigue, but studies have found fatigue-type symptoms in about 4% of the general population, rising to way above that level in those who rely heavily on their voice at work. Teachers probably have the greatest risk of vocal fatigue: in a small recent study in Ireland for Better Voice the figure was 50%.
Unfortunately most symptoms of vocal fatigue can also be found in medical conditions such as chronic laryngitis, vocal fold inflammation and muscle tension dysphonia. So:
In 2014 researchers at Pittsburgh University produced the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI), a simple and effective procedure by which individuals can both measure their own level of vocal fatigue and gauge the effectiveness of therapeutic programmes.
They found that vocal fatigue can be characterised by three factors:
If you think you may have vocal fatigue then complete the VFI. The full Index is available as Appendix B here:
You can use your VFI scores not only to see whether you have vocal fatigue now, but to check periodically whether it may be developing – or improving as your Better Voice develops. There are numerous documented accounts, spanning more than a century, of people whose voice problems have been remedied by White’s Technique that Better Voice teaches.
If your voice still gets tired when you use it a lot does that mean you have vocal fatigue?
It’s very easy to use the term vocal fatigue as a catch-all for any kind of voice problems. In the past there has been no clear definition of vocal fatigue, but studies have found fatigue-type symptoms in about 4% of the general population, rising to way above that level in those who rely heavily on their voice at work. Teachers probably have the greatest risk of vocal fatigue: in a small recent study in Ireland for Better Voice the figure was 50%.
Unfortunately most symptoms of vocal fatigue can also be found in medical conditions such as chronic laryngitis, vocal fold inflammation and muscle tension dysphonia. So:
In 2014 researchers at Pittsburgh University produced the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI), a simple and effective procedure by which individuals can both measure their own level of vocal fatigue and gauge the effectiveness of therapeutic programmes.
They found that vocal fatigue can be characterised by three factors:
If you think you may have vocal fatigue then complete the VFI. The full Index is available as Appendix B here:
You can use your VFI scores not only to see whether you have vocal fatigue now, but to check periodically whether it may be developing – or improving as your Better Voice develops. There are numerous documented accounts, spanning more than a century, of people whose voice problems have been remedied by White’s Technique that Better Voice teaches.
