“We’ll examine your vocal cords to determine the problem,” he says. If you’re having voice issues, it’s wise to be evaluated by a voice specialist, a laryngologist, or a speech pathologist with expertise in voice. This can lead to depression and affect overall health.”īut that doesn’t have to happen.
“When you become more socially isolated, your quality of life drops. “If it’s difficult for others to hear and understand you, you may not want to sing in church, volunteer, or go out with friends,” he says. Rejuvenating the voiceĪ diminishing voice sometimes leads to a less active social life. The voice can also change because of benign (nodules, polyps) or malignant lesions (cancer), or if one of the vocal folds becomes paralyzed. For example, chronic fatigue and neurological problems can cause a shaking, or tremor, in the voice. Sometimes, a voice change can herald a developing medical problem. Your torso may shrink, and your lungs may become smaller, stiffer and less pliable.Īll of these changes may weaken the voice, Dr. Sometimes, the muscles of the larynx can atrophy, become thinner and weaker. The vocal cords may lose muscle tone, flexibility and elasticity, and dry out. The joints of the larynx may become stiff, and its cartilage may calcify.
The most common cause of a voice change later in life is aging of the voice box and the respiratory system that powers the voice.Īging may bring a loss of flexibility. There are two main reasons why your voice may change with age:ġ. Unlike puberty, when everyone’s voice changes, voice changes with aging are not universal, Dr. “Check with your child’s pediatrician if there is no change in voice, no growth, no lowering of the testicles in boys, no breast development in girls and no development of body hair,” says Dr. If a teen’s voice hasn’t changed by that time and other secondary sexual characteristics have not developed, hormonal issues may be at play. Usually, by age 17, the voice fully stabilizes.
Their pitch drops only about three tones. Girls’ voices also change as they mature, but less dramatically. “They develop the typical jumping pitch, and their voices can suddenly drop about an octave lower,” he says. “Your vocal folds (cords) also thicken and enlarge.” As you go through puberty, the larynx grows and moves down lower in the neck,” explains Dr. “Before puberty, your larynx, or voice box, sits higher in the neck. As this is happening, the voice tends to change as well. The first sign of puberty in girls is breast development, while in boys it’s an increase in the size of the testicles. In boys, this happens between ages 12 and 16 in girls, between ages 10 and 14. A voice change is one of the secondary sexual characteristics adolescents develop. Puberty is a process of sexual maturation. So it makes sense to listen to your changing voice and report any concerns to your doctor. “Weakening of the voice later in life may point to health issues as well.” “Lack of a voice change in boys who grow up can signal a problem,” says Claudio Milstein, PhD. What’s behind these vocal shifts, and what do they say about your health? We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
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