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Are you aware, our voices keep changing with age? This change in voice will be most noticeable once you begin to enter old age. The phenomenon of changing voices in old age is called presbyphonia. Your voice is more likely to vibrate and the volume is softer that it is difficult for other people to hear. Meanwhile, in older men, their voice tone will be higher. What caused it?
Why is it that the older the voice changes?
Usually the sound changes after you enter the age of 60 years and over. This is generally due to physical changes in the vocal folds in the voice box that may result from certain health problems, such as Parkinson's or acid reflux. These changes can be temporary to permanent.
As we get older, the body will naturally lose muscle mass, the mucous membranes will thin out and dry up, and the body's coordination ability will decrease. Well it turns out, this aging also occurs in the larynx, which eventually becomes the main cause of voice changes in old age.
The vocal cords or folds have many layers of muscle that can weaken and thin with aging. when the sound becomes less flexible it can no longer vibrate effectively to produce sound. As a result, your voice will sound more shrill.
A voice that sounds weak can also occur due to a disturbance in the respiratory system that makes it difficult for you to breathe normally and and and maintains the volume to remain high.
If your voice changes to a harsher and heavier sound, or sounds hoarser than before, then this may be due to stiff vocal cords caused by smoking from a young age. Just as the vocal cords are thinning, stiff vocal cords cannot vibrate to make the sound as good as before. In fact, the larynx requires maximum vibration to produce a clear sound. As a result, you will have a hoarser voice.
In addition, Clark Ronsen, professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh, also said that the decreasing voice changes in women could be caused by hormonal changes that occur postmenopause.
How to deal with voice changing with age?
Generally, voice therapy is effective enough to help improve the health of your vocal cords. Look for a suitable therapist and experts in their field to treat this discomfort.
However, in some cases medical to surgical treatments can be quite effective treatments to increase the strength and resistance of your voice. Don't worry, voices changing as you get older are normal and don't require serious maintenance. Unless these changes are caused by certain health conditions that need to be addressed immediately.
To help maintain a healthy voice in old age, you also need to get in the habit of several things such as drinking enough water, not shouting when talking, and not smoking. In addition, try not to torture inflamed vocal cords, such as during the flu by talking and shouting a lot.
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