The costs of keeping a class in order

Updated on: Monday, August 29, 2011

After teaching in colleges for over 35 years, an irritation in her throat did not come as a surprise to Nandini Sardesai. But when the doctor told her she might lose her voice if she did not seek medical treatment soon, reality finally hit her.

“I noticed hoarseness while taking lectures. So, I visited an ENT specialist, who immediately told me that my voice box had developed vocal nodules, and if I didn’t get them treated soon, they would kill my voice altogether,” said Sardesai, who is currently a visiting faculty at K C College and Jai Hind College in Churchgate.

The doctor advised her to consult a speech therapist. “I have been asked to either get the nodules removed through an operation or go without uttering a single word for seven days, followed by speech therapy. The therapist can start the treatment only when the nodules diminish,” Sardesai said.

With a typical teacher manning a class of 80 students, sometimes even more, overexertion of the voice box is common. Speech therapists call this ‘voice abuse’, a problem commonly faced by teachers. “Nodules are formed on both sides of the vocal folds due to the abuse or overuse of voice. Many professional voice users face this problem because of friction caused in the voice box due to the constant and heavy use of voice,” said Dr Jyotsna Nadkarni, an audiologist and speech therapist.

While voice nodules, if detected early, can be treated with therapy, there have been instances where surgery was required. “I don’t just teach; as a vice-principal, I also tend to counsel a lot of students. So, I end up overusing my voice,” said Firdaus Mistry, vice-principal of Jai Hind College. After she noticed hoarseness, she had her voice nodules surgically removed two years ago. “But they redeveloped in my voice box and are once again affecting me, and so my lectures,” she said.

ENT surgeons in the city say they have seen a surge in cases where patients report hoarseness or even voice loss. “One of my patients was a teacher who took a month off from work to get adequate rest to improve his voice,” said Dr Nupur Kapoor Nerurkar, laryngologist and voice surgeon at Bombay Hospital. “I never treat patients without first sending them for speech therapy. Only when they know the importance of avoiding voice abuse can they be healed of nodules. Also, teachers should take lessons to achieve a basic understanding of how the voice box functions and how its use can be optimised by not harming the vocal cords.”

VOICE DISORDER ADVISORY

    Drink water at regular intervals
    Take breaks in between long lectures
    Avoid spicy food
    Use mike during lectures, especially when teaching big classes
    Visit an ENT specialist if hoarseness does not go in a week

RISK GROUPS

    Singers: Hours of practice takes a toll on the vocal cords of professional singers. Continuous speech therapy is advisable
    Stage actors: Rehearsals and live performances prove demanding on the voice box. Many theatre groups train artistes to make optimal use of their vocal cords without straining them
    Call centre staff: Speaking continuously on the phone overexerts the voice box, often without the speaker realising it
    Politicians: Giving a speech, debating at a public forum and holding forth on issues have their downside. Periodic medical checkups advisable

The costs of keeping a class in order

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