Q: I am a 43 years old man having a typical problem of voice abuse. I am facing problems in speaking; even a little bit of speech gives me trouble. I have noticed changes in my voice. Sometimes I have noticed that people cannot listen to what I am saying. I need to say it again. The doctors say that this is a typical problem of voice abuse. My vocal chords have some swellings over it. I was told to have voice rest and controlled use of my voice. What is voice abuse? What is it's treatment?

A:Well voice abuse as the term suggested is abuse of your voice producing organs called as vocal cords. The reason can be excessive talking for prolonged hours without much rest as well as bad habits such as throat clearing, smoking, etc. You need to consult a speech therapist who would put you on a vocal hygiene program, which would give you some respite but ultimate treatment is removal of the reasons that are leading to the same.