Klein Speech & Voice Solutions

01/06/2022

For those of you who are teachers or any other form of occupational voice user.

12/31/2021

How cool is this!

Experts in the Illinois State University departments of CSD and TECH are collaborating with professionals at San Jose State University to study the use of virtual reality environments for rehabilit…

07/30/2021

Thank you, Jeff Pegues, for sharing your journey with and raising awareness about this challenging voice condition.

"It's like a second baseman in baseball who can't throw to first," Jeff Pegues. "I lost my voice, and frankly, I thought my career was over."

12/21/2020

Vocal cord nodules are calluses that form on the outer layer of the vocal cords. They are almost always the result of vocal misuse/abuse. Good news though, they can usually be resolved through voice therapy!

12/20/2020

Persistent shortness of breath in people who recovered from COVID-19 related to nerve damage connected to vocal cord function..com thank you for sharing!

(HealthDay)—Nerve damage to vocal cords could be the reason why some people recovering from COVID-19 suffer mysterious bouts of shortness of breath for months after shaking off the coronavirus, researchers say.

02/18/2020

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/entertainment-arts-51191615

May he have a speedy recovery!
With continuous development of research into therapeutic interventions for people with PD, more and more people are being helped daily.

It’s always emotional to hear about people’s struggle with PD, but at the same time, it’s inspiring to learn about their often relentless pursuit to recovery.

You can learn more about it here:

https://www.parkinson.org

https://www.michaeljfox.org/donate/our-goal-urgently-needed-cure?smcid=ap-a1b1R0000086fHf

The rock star and his family tell a US TV show he has a "mild form" of the condition.

02/11/2020

Fascinating research about the impact of alcohol on vocal symptoms of people with Spasmodic Dysphonia!

Question: if alcohol were to help, what is your opinion about using it to reduce the symptoms of SD, considering the risk of alcohol abuse and it’s current position as a leading cause of death in America?

Over and over, patients with laryngea dystonia reported that drinking alcohol eased their strangled syllables. But could their accounts be trusted?

01/19/2020

Wonderful article about singers preserving their voices as they age!

Thank you to The Voice Book: Caring For, Protecting, and Improving Your Voice for sharing!

How Tony Bennett and other senior singers preserve their voices as they age.

01/19/2020

This is so important, and another reason why not to push off seeing an ENT (Laryngologist preferably) when experiencing a persistent voice deficiency of 2-3 weeks and more.

12/18/2019

How interesting is that!!

The resonant properties of your skull can amplify some frequencies and dampen others—and, in some cases, affect your hearing. Christopher Intagliata reports. 

12/15/2019

The “beauty” of Botox...

RI

12/01/2019

Unfortunately quality healthcare has, and continues to become increasingly more difficult with each year...

Medicare revamped its reimbursement policy for physical, occupational and speech therapy in nursing homes. That has left some patients with less help.

11/27/2019

"He was making a face like he was crying but there was no noise coming out..”

Beautiful ending to this story!



https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/vocal-cord-surgery-gives-toddler-rio-farr-with-a-rare-condition-a-voice-2019-11-26/

When Rio Farr was born, it looked like he was crying, but no sound would come out

11/27/2019

So true!

How Tony Bennett and other senior singers preserve their voices as they age.

10/27/2019

I’m blown away by the magnitude of his vocal range, and the ease with which he glides through his 6 octave range!!
Impressive!!

https://youtu.be/JEz1qGS0T1Q

Dimash Kudaibergen - kazakh singer from Kazakhstan. Part 1 of I Am a Singer (Chinese reality show)

10/10/2019

Interesting explanation on the neurological affect music has on our body and mind!

09/26/2019

If you’ve ever smoked, do smoke or have quit, you know what cigarette smoking can do to your voice. I had the privilege of attending and covering the Midwest Voice Conference and also the great pleasure of meeting and recently interviewing Dr. H. Steven Sims, a board certified Otolaryngologist and...

09/17/2019

Laryngitis is an inflammation or swelling of the larynx (voicebox) from overuse, irritation, or infection; the most common cause is a viral infection (think: cold, flu, bronchitis, upper respiratory infection, etc.). HELLO SEASON CHANGE…HAPPY FALL! Laryngitis is actually very common, spreads easily, & can be acute (lasting a short time) or chronic (ongoing). The most obvious symptoms are dysphonia (hoarseness) & even aphonia (loss of voice).
Acute laryngitis should resolve on its own with the management of the virus likely causing it, & it’s a good idea to reduce & monitor your voice use during this time of healing (rest your voice!). Reduce your volume & reduce the time you speak overall (if you must talk for work etc.), and if you need to speak to large groups, make sure you use some type of amplification. The vocal folds (VFs) are likely very irritated/inflamed & will not vibrate efficiently; therefore, voice use may cause further irritation to the VF tissues & possibly even cause you to use muscle tension for voice production since the VF vibration will likely be significantly impaired. Repeated over time these muscular patterns can become habituated into muscle memory, so it’s a good idea to not even let there be a chance of this happening. Be proactive by advocating for your voice at work, in social settings, & at home. Other tips include increased hydration: WATER water water, LOTS of fluids (but avoid caffeine & alcohol), steam inhalation, humidification, & ultrasonic nebulizer use with 0.9% isotonic saline solution. Also be sure to STOP any throat clearing or coughing behaviors (as these will further irritate the already inflamed VF tissues) & consider using throat lozenges (non-mentholated) or hard candies to stimulate saliva swallowing & reduce the urge to throat clear/cough.
If the laryngitis is chronic, treatment is aimed at targeting the underlying condition which may include inefficient vocal use patterns, reflux, smoking, alcohol use, work-related voice use, excessive vocal demand, chronic cough, and/or too high of a vocal dose respective to vocal nap (recovery) time. Consider voice therapy—it works!
If your laryngitis lasts longer than two weeks, it’s a good idea to get “scoped” by a medical professional who specializes in voice. Season change is unfortunately a time where virus exposure is high—so as the leaves turn, make sure you amp up your immunity & PROTECT those vocal folds…& if you notice the first signs of laryngitis, be sure to recognize & respond right away!