Can Menopause affect my Voice?
Can menopause affect voice texture and quality? This question may surprise a few, but yes, this is a fact! As per a research by Dr. Berit Schneider, MD, a speech pathologist at the University of Vienna, in Austria, 46% of the postmenopausal women he researched mentioned of change in their voice texture.
Voice change is often overlooked as a menopause symptom. It happens due to androgen effect, imbalance in oestrogen and progesterone hormones and increase in testosterone level, post menopause.
Voice is highly sensitive to hormonal changes. Hormonal fluctuations of menopause not only affect the body, but also the voice.
Change of voice is an overlooked symptom of menopause
Changes in the voice during menopause are linked to oestrogen. Oestrogen is responsible for the unique feminine characters of a woman. Drop in the levels of oestrogen produces an impact on the voice making it hoarse & low-pitched.
Further, during menopause, swelling of the vocal cords occurs and there is a change in the consistency of mucous membranes around the vocal tract. These changes further produce an impact on the voice.
Our vocal cords require lubrication but with the onset of menopause, the tissues become dry, leaving our chords dry leading to hoarseness.
During menopause, there is loss of muscle mass around the larynx which hinders efficient vibration of the vocal cords, which is required to produce sound.
With menopause, the voice range usually worsens and high notes are no longer attainable. The voice tends to crack. Several professional singers have no options but to end their career at this point.
Vocal changes associated with menopause
Some of the vocal changes that may be associated with menopause are as follows…
- Voice becomes dry.
- Throat becomes dry.
- Voice frequency level lowers.
- Frequent clearing of the throat.
- Roughness and hoarseness of voice increases.
Management of Voice Changes
Change in voice can be quite frustrating for the suffering woman. However, in a few women, the changes can be quite intense that they begin to interfere with their daily life. Voice changes occurring during menopause can be managed by adapting the below-mentioned methods…
1/3. Life Style Modifications
1. Lifestyle modifications shall help lessen the voice changes but, they do not directly address the hormonal imbalance.
2. Consume a balanced and nutritious diet.
3. Perform regular and active exercises.
2/3. Alternative Medicine
1. Alternative medicine is considered to be an exceptional method of treating voice changes linked with hormonal imbalance in a safe and natural way.
2. Alternative medicines are quite effective in treating the changes in voice. These medicines are safe and involve no risk.
3. Two main types of herbal supplements used are -phytoestrogenic and hormone-regulating herbal supplements.
4. Vitamin supplements too can be administered.
3/3. Pharmaceutical Options
Two chief types of pharmaceutical options that can be helpful in treating voice changes are…
1. Hormonal replacement therapy and
2. Oral contraceptives.
Depending on the duration, intensity & severity of the symptoms, a woman can use different approaches at different times or even a combination of these approaches to alleviate her symptoms. It is observed that menopausal symptoms are best dealt with by adapting a combination of healthy lifestyle and alternative treatments.
Please consult a related health care professional who can help you overcome the effect of menopause on ones voice quality.