There’s a lot of advice out there on how to keep skin smooth and muscles strong as we age, but there’s one aspect of aging that most of us never consider is our voice.
Not only can the quality of our voice be as ‘aging’ as wrinkles, but experts also say we need to take steps to preserve our voice, as failure to do so risks social isolation, even depression.
Last month, singer Lulu, 75, said she regularly practices her voice to preserve it and does not speak before noon on days she is performing.
“Most people are surprised that the voice is part of the aging process, but it is,” says Ruth Epstein, a speech and language consultant based in London.
‘The vocal cords [within the larynx, or voice box] they are some of the smallest muscles we have. If we think about what happens to other muscles as we age, it is obvious that they are also affected.”
Singer Lulu, 75, said she regularly practices her voice to preserve it and does not speak before noon on days she is performing.
While there’s plenty of advice on how to keep skin smooth and muscles strong as we age, there’s very little advice on how to keep our voices young (Stock Image)
As we age, our voices can become lower, less expressive and increasingly shaky, but 20 percent of older adults, according to research published last year in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, will develop a voice disorder, where the voice does not work as it should, becoming weak or wavering, for example.
These changes can have far-reaching effects, even leading to depression. “Many people accept that their voice gets weaker as they get older and become withdrawn and less communicative,” says Ruth Epstein.
“There is a deep emotional impact.” There are multiple reasons for these changes. “Over time, our vocal cords become stiffer and less flexible,” she explains.
“There is also a reduction in muscle mass which begins to affect the speed, strength and endurance of the laryngeal muscles. [which control vocal volume and strength].
“There is reduced sensitivity in these muscles as they shrink with age, which affects their ability to contract.” This can make our voices hoarse.
“Meanwhile,” he adds, “a reduction in hyaluronic acid in the tissue [which acts as a lubricant] and muscle wear and tear associated with age leaves us with thinner and stiffer vocal cords.
“Mucus production is also reduced and our lung capacity decreases, which can change our voice.”
Women’s voices are more susceptible because their vocal cords are more delicate. However, with age, both sexes can find that their voices become monotonous “because the larynx falls, lengthening the length of the vocal tract and altering the sound,” says Ruth Epstein.
As we age, our voices can become lower, but 20% of older adults will develop a voice disorder, where the voice doesn’t work as it should, becoming weak or wavering (Stock Image)
‘Male and female voices drop from about 65. The cartilage in the male larynx thins and male voices grow hoarse. Women’s voices grow deeper.
Our voices become lower as we are less able to raise the volume, and tremors also become more common. To avoid these changes, maintaining physical fitness is key.
“Voice aging is a biological thing, not just about your actual age,” says Ruth Epstein. “People who regularly go to the gym or take 10,000 steps a day won’t sound so old. It’s about thinking of the voice as part of the body.’
You also need to protect your vocal cords, for example by avoiding junk food or eating right before bed. “If you eat late and then pull back, acid secretions are likely to travel to the back of your throat,” she says. “This can cause irritation.”
There are also specific approaches, he adds. “We are currently looking for new treatments that combine exercises focused on the larynx and breathing to treat the aging voice.”
She says increasing your water intake to seven or eight glasses a day and using steam inhalation can help the steam pass over the vocal cords and lubricate them. “I always tell people to join a choir and encourage older people not to shop online, but to go out and talk to people, as chatting will help keep the laryngeal muscles toned.”
People who use their voice at work are not at greater risk. “On the contrary,” says Ruth Epstein. ‘If you use your voice professionally, the muscles will be more agile.
“A teacher may not suffer from the aging process as much as someone who is a librarian. It’s use it or lose it.
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