When we think about aging, we often worry about wrinkles on our skin, greying hair, and weakening muscles. However, few of us ever think about something which often gives away one’s age: the voice.

Many of us don’t realise that the voice is something that need looking after to maintain its health, vibrancy, and youthfulness. As a result, more than a third of people over the age of 65 suffer from voice problems such as hoarseness and weakness. A weakening voice- which is reflected in pitch, volume, and resonance- can leave you sounding much older than your real age.

Understanding your voice

Just like other muscles, the vocal cords become thinner, flabbier and damaged with age. This makes the voice to lose its youthful range and quality, resulting in “old age” voice. Older men might notice that their voices have a higher pitch. Weakened vocal cords also allow too much air to pass through, which makes older voices sound breathy and weak.

Lung capacity, which influences your voice, declines with age - by the age of 80 it may be half the volume it was at age 20. All these changes can make even simple conversations difficult for older people, which in turn can lead to withdrawal and isolation.

In today’s world where people are waiting later to retire, many older people are finding it necessary to seek professional help for their voices so as to continue communicating with confidence. This is especially so in careers where one has to constantly use their voice-such as teaching, public speaking, sales and marketing, singing, being a lawyer or doctor and so on.

But you shouldn’t wait till your voice is significantly aged to start consciously taking care of it. Here are some things you can do to help your voice age well:

Stay hydrated

The vocal cords have a thin layer of jelly-like fluid, made by the nearby glands, which keeps them lubricated. To have sufficient amounts of this fluid, keep yourself well-hydrated by drinking at least water and other beverages and eating a balanced healthy diet.

Use it or lose it

Just like other muscles in the body, the vocal cords are stronger when they’re frequently exercised and used. Keep your voice vibrant through having conversations with family and friends, reading out loud to yourself, or even talking to a pet. Singing is one of the best ways to safely exercise your vocal cord. Professional singers voices take longer to age because they keep their cords strong. It’s especially advisable to sing in the shower- the steam helps lubricate your voice box.

Avoid vocal extremes

While exercising your vocal cords is important, you should avoid overexerting them. Shouting, screaming, and even whispering can inflame your vocal cords. Inflamed cords have a harder time closing an opening and can end up banging together instead, which can result in tiny growths called nodules. The nodules make your larynx to work harder, exhausting your cords and damaging your voice. If your job requires you to constantly speak loudly, make sure you give your voice some at least a five-minute rest every hour.

Improve your posture

Maintaining good posture can help you keep your voice healthy and strong. Slumping compresses the entire vocal tract, preventing deep breathing and making the vocal cords to work harder to produce sound. To have proper posture, imagine you have a string attached at the top of your head which is pulling you straight. This will help you sit and stand straighter. Exercises such as Pilates, yoga, and swimming- which strengthen your abdominal muscles and help you breathe deeper- also improve your posture and help maintain a healthy voice.

Watch out for acid reflux

Acid reflux is to blame for many cases of hoarseness. When you have acid reflux, stomach acid backs up into the throat, which can irritate the vocal cords and cause them to swell. If you wake up with a hoarse voice which improves as the day goes on, you probably have acid reflux. Other common symptoms of acid reflux include heartburn, belching, bloating. To reduce reflux, have your dinner at least two hours before bed, and avoid exercising or lying down right after eating. You should also reduce your intake of acidic foods and drinks which can trigger reflux such as alcohol, tea, fizzy drinks, chocolate, and mint. Over-the-counter drugs can also help you manage acid reflux.

Quit smoking

Smoking can wreak havoc for your voice- it dries up the inside of your larynx, exacerbates acid reflux, cause frequent coughing, and scars the vocal cords. This can give your voice an unhealthy rasping quality. Smoking can also lead to throat cancer, which needless to say, is disastrous on the voice.