Voice Exercises after Thyroidectomy

It is rare, but it can happen: your voice may be impacted by a thyroidectomy.  The following recommendations come from the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals.

Take short sessions of 5-10 minutes for 3-4 times every day.

• You may feel as if you are running out of breath more then usual. Aim to take fuller deep breaths to support your voice as you start to talk.
• Sit comfortably in a relaxed supported position, or lie down. Breathe in deeply either through your nose or mouth, feeling the lower area of your lungs where your diaphragm is, expand with the inward breath. You will feel the expansion just under the lower ribs, or over your belly button. Let the breath out with a soundless sigh. Do not take lots of deep breaths in and out in quick succession as this can make you feel dizzy and uncomfortable.
• Push the next breath out making a ‘sh’ sound, but do not strain at your throat as you do this.
• Keeping as relaxed as you can, and being aware of taking full supporting breaths, try these exercises which aim to bring the two vocal cords together precisely to make the voice sound as clear as possible.
• Make a strong ‘ah’ sound, listening particularly to the start of the sound which should be as crisp and clear as you can make it. Try a very forceful ‘ah’, and listen – this may not be asclear and sharp in sound quality as a slightly gentler ‘ah’. However, not enough force will leavethe voice still sounding husky at the onset of the sound. The aim is for ‘quality control’maintaining as clear and strong a voice as you can.
• Vowel sounds all require precise vocal cord closure, but replace ‘u’, which is a soft sound with the stronger ‘ooh’

a     e     i     oh     oooh

Repeat each vowel three times.

Say ‘Uh-oh!’ again listening for a strong clear sound

Build up into words:
Ale     ear     eye     oat     oose
Arm     every     eleven
All     any     either
Ear     are     own
Eye     eel     arch
Ale     onion     arrive

And then phrases, remembering to keep relaxed, and to be aware of your breathing.
Arm in arm              everybody out
All in all                  angry aunt
Up up and away      an awful afternoon
Earache                  Ian asked Amy out

Repeat this set of sounds as often as you feel you can, aiming for three times a day, trying to keep the sound quality as precise and clear as you can.