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Are you having problems with your voice?
If you are, then you are probably feeling very distressed. No one around quite understands
the probelms you are facing - after all you are not ill, are you? A very common senario is that
you have been to the doctor and been offered antibiotics and told to drink lemon and honey.
If you are ill, these can work, but if you are experiencing vocal difficulties the reality
is that few general practitioners know how to support you.
Above all, do not panic. There are people out there to help. You should seek
help as quickly as possible, as difficulties rarely resolve themselves unless something
is changed.
Posture is important - the founder of Alexander Technique was an actor who suffered
vocal problems and set about developing his technique to get over them.
Osteopathy can help. There is a London based osteopath called Jacob Lieberman who
has made a speciality of working with the voice.
Some of the best support is from speech therapists, though getting to see one can seem tortuous.
These are highly skilled professionals who work within the medical profession
to give support to anybody who has vocal difficulties. Young children are often helped by
speech therapy. Actors who have strained their voices, and singers too. If you are a teacher
with a voice problem, try and get to see one as soon as possible.
How do you get to see a speech therapist?
Respected Speech Therapists have a code of conduct that says all patients should first be seen
by an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) consultant. The usual way is to get a GP referral to see an ENT consultant within
a voice clinic. It is better to try and get to one in such a clinic, because ENT surgeons cover
a wide range of specialities. Also a clinic will often have a speech therapist as a member of
the team. Failing that, most ENT consultants would give a referral.
Good singing teachers are very experienced in working with voices and can help. However it
is very important to find one who knows what they are doing with voices. Many ENT clinics have
singing teachers attached to them. Janet has a close relationship with a Harley St clinic.
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Need help?
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If you have a voice problem you should not wait to seek help.
Resolutely ask for a referral.
If you report to a GP having lost your voice because of some trauma, they rarely have
the specialist knowledge to offer the help you need. You need to take charge yourself. See the
panel to know how best to ask.
Telephone exchange workers are another group of professional voice users who frequently need help.
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