The Effects of Air Quality on Speech and Voice (and What You Can Do About It!)
The other day while walking downtown Pittsburgh to one of my clients, the air was thick and smelled…well, let’s just say, interesting. Because it was foggy, the air was thicker and trapping pungent smells. Did you know that the air state affects our nasopharynx (nasal cavity and soft palate), sinuses and respiratory system, and has an effect on our speech and voice as well? Some environmental exposures include pollen, fog, dust and chemicals like pesticides. In California, there have been studies done that link these environmental factors to increased voice problems and respiratory stress.
What are some examples of air pollutants? They include ozone, carbon monoxide (from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels), lead, nitrogen dioxide (a major contributor to smog formation), sulfur dioxide and PM10 (a mixture of tiny solids and liquid droplets).
I wondered about Pittsburgh’s state of the air and decided to look it up at www.stateoftheair.org. The American Lung Association rates numerous cities across the US on three levels: Ozone, Particle Pollution and Short-term Particle Pollution. (You can look your city up, too.)
In 2014, Pittsburgh-New Castle rated 21st by ozone, 6th by year round particle pollution, and 6th by short-term particle pollution. That doesn’t sound very good but it is actually better than the 2011 report. Cities in California took the top spots across all categories. The report grade for Allegheny County in Pennsylvania (where I live) was F. I didn’t realize that we average 43 Orange Days a year which means air quality conditions that are unhealthy for sensitive groups.
The readings that I looked at talked most specifically about the relationship between air quality and connections to the vocal tract, sinuses and respiratory system. All of these areas are core to speech and voice. If chemicals or dust dry the delicate tissue along the vocal tract, you will experience speech and voice symptoms including dry mouth and the inability to retain suppleness. Since breathing chemicals interferes with the blood’s ability to carry oxygen to body tissue (hypoxia), vocal cord dysfunction can occur including difficulty breathing, throat tightness, a choking sensation, an irritated throat, numbness and/or tingling of the mouth and fingers, toes, feet. If tiny particles lodge in your lungs, it will affect your respiratory function essential for voicing.
What is the solution? I looked up resources for you that have solutions for air pollution and found many tips on the Environmental Protection Agency website.
You can also check the daily air quality forecasts in your area here.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had cleaner air policies? I know that it is a complicated political minefield when it comes to speaking out but we all can reduce our personal contributions to air pollution by taking simple measures. And your efforts will help you and those around stay vocally healthy! Click here for some great ideas from Maricopa County Air Quality Department in Arizona. They provide daily ideas for you to implement like Cycle Sunday, Alt Mode Monday, Ride Together Tuesday, Walk Somewhere Wednesday, No Drive Thursday, Fuel After Dark Friday and Sweep It Up Saturday. These things are easy to do and make a difference!
Air Quality Awareness Week is Monday, April 27 – Friday, May 1.
Tell me your stories and how you take action to fight against poor air quality.
Tags: Air Quality Awareness Week, Effects of air quality on speech and voice, Oral dryness, pollution effects, respiratory problems and voice, vocal cord dysfunction