Voice Changes in Menopause (A Book Reading)
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[00:00:00] Imagine waking up one morning and realizing your voice doesn't sound the same. Maybe it's deeper than it used to be. Maybe you're constantly clearing your throat, or maybe you're a singer, a teacher, a speaker, or someone who uses her voice professionally, and suddenly you can't do some of the things that you've been doing for years.
Now, imagine going to your doctor, explaining what's happening, and nobody even mentions menopause as a possibility. And look, here's the thing. For some women, these changes aren't just frustrating. They can affect their confidence, your relationships, and even your livelihood because your voice is personal, right?
It's part of how you express yourself, how people recognize you, and how you show up in the world. So what happens when that starts changing and you have no idea why? Well, that's exactly what I'm covering today. [00:01:00] I'm Tafiq Akhir, Mr. Menopause here, your go-to source for reliable and unbiased menopause education and healthy aging support.
Welcome to the Menopause Made Simple show. Now, today's episode is gonna be a little different. So instead of our usual format, I thought I'd share something directly from my book, Decoding the 80 Symptoms and Side Effects of Menopause. See, when I wrote this book, I didn't wanna create another book that women would have to sit down and read from beginning to end, and having to sift through a ton of information just to find the information that they needed.
I wanted to create something you could actually use. Think of it as a menopause encyclopedia, something you can keep on your nightstand, on your desk, or in your bag, or even where you keep your health resources. And you can go directly to whatever symptom or concern you're dealing with at that time.
Because when you're experiencing something unfamiliar, the last thing that you need [00:02:00] is to spend hours searching for answers and wondering whether what you're reading even applies to you.
That's why I decoded each of the 80 symptoms and side effects in a very specific way. - First, we look at the symptom itself and how it may show up in your everyday life. Then we explore its possible relationship to menopause. In other words, how hormonal changes may be contributing to what you're experiencing.
From there, I walk through your first three steps, additional things that you can start applying right now that may help, as well as when it's time to seek medical attention. And at the end, there's a reminder that brings everything together. The goal is simple, to help you connect the dots, understand your options, and know where to start.
And to give you an example of exactly how it works, today I'm gonna read symptom number forty, which is voice changes or vocal [00:03:00] changes.
Now, I chose this particular symptom because it's one that many women don't even realize may be connected to menopause. And it also features someone I had the pleasure of interviewing on my show, Nancy Bos, who shared how changes in her voice affected her professionally and personally. So let's get into it.
Symptom 40, voice changes. Here's what I want you to know. If you're noticing changes in your voice, such as deepening, hoarseness, reduced vocal range, vocal fatigue, or difficulty hitting higher notes that you used to reach easily, well, you're not damaging your vocal cords. This is voice changes, and declining estrogen and progesterone can directly affect your voice.
On my podcast, Nancy Boss shared her experience with voice changes during menopause. As a professional speaker whose career depended on her voice, she noticed something was wrong. She said, "My voice started dropping. I [00:04:00] couldn't hit the higher notes anymore. It was affecting my work, my presentations, everything."
Now, for someone whose livelihood depended on vocal clarity and range, this was devastating for her.
But Nancy's voice wasn't damaged. Her vocal cords were responding to a decline in estrogen and progesterone. Its relationship to menopause: you may be experiencing voice changes because estrogen and progesterone affect the vocal cords or vocal folds and the larynx. Now, these hormones influence the thickness, hydration, and flexibility of your vocal cord tissue.
When estrogen and progesterone decline, vocal cords can become drier, thicker, and less elastic. Also, the shift in hormone ratios during menopause, like estrogen declining while androgens remain relatively stable, which can cause slight thickening and lengthening of vocal cords, which lowers voice pitch.
This is the same [00:05:00] hormonal shift that can cause facial hair growth. Now,
Water retention in vocal cords can also fluctuate with hormonal changes affecting voice quality. Translation: declining estrogen and progesterone can change the structure, hydration, and flexibility of your vocal cords, while the relative increase in androgens can deepen your voice. Your voice isn't damaged from overuse.
Your vocal cords are changing structurally due to hormonal shifts. Next, your first steps. Now, here's where I want you to start. These three actions have helped many women I've worked with. Number one, stay extremely well-hydrated. Drink water consistently throughout the day because vocal cords need systemic hydration to function well.
Aim for at least eight glasses of water daily, more if you use your voice professionally. Avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol because both dehydrate vocal cords. [00:06:00] Carry water with you and sip frequently. Number two, use a humidifier, especially at night. Dry air dries out vocal cords, worsening voice changes.
Use a humidifier in your bedroom and workspaces. Aim for forty to fifty percent humidity. Breathe through your nose rather than your mouth when possible because the nose humidifies air naturally. This is especially important in winter or air-conditioned environments. Number three,
warm up your voice gently. Before heavy voice use, do gentle vocal warm-ups: humming, lip trills, gentle scales. Don't push your voice to hit high notes that have become difficult. Forcing high notes when vocal cords have changed can cause strain.
Accept that your comfortable range may have shifted and adjust accordingly.
Next, what else helps? For vocal care strategies, avoid clearing your throat excessively. [00:07:00] Swallow or sip water instead. Don't whisper. It actually strains vocal cords more than normal speech. Rest your voice when possible if you use it heavily for work. Avoid shouting or speaking over loud noise. Breathe steam in the shower or over a bowl of hot water to hydrate vocal cords.
For lifestyle modifications, don't smoke. Smoking severely damages vocal cords. Limit alcohol because it dries vocal cords and causes inflammation. Reduce acid reflux triggers if you have reflux because reflux damages vocal cords.
Manage your allergies because postnasal drip irritates vocal cords. Get adequate sleep. Vocal cords recover during sleep. For professional support, speech therapy with voice specialists can teach [00:08:00] techniques to protect the changing voice. Vocal coaching if you use your voice professionally.
Learn breathing techniques that support voice production. Modify speaking patterns to accommodate vocal changes. For medical options, hormone therapy, particularly if voice changes occur suddenly with menopause.
An ENT evaluation to rule out other causes like nodules, polyps, or reflux damage. Voice therapy for professional voice users. Treatment for underlying reflux or allergies if they are contributing factors. When to seek medical help. Contact your healthcare provider if voice changes are sudden, severe, or progressively worsening.
If you experience pain when speaking. If you develop persistent hoarseness lasting more than two weeks. If voice changes are affecting your work or your [00:09:00] quality of life. If you have difficulty swallowing or breathing if you want evaluation to rule out other causes beyond menopause Remember, Nancy's voice was so affected that it impacted her professional speaking career.
But once she started hormone replacement therapy, her voice improved significantly, and she was able to continue her work. Voice changes from menopause are caused by declining estrogen and progesterone, which affect vocal cord structure, hydration, and flexibility, combined with relative androgen dominance that can deepen pitch.
While concerning, for women who rely on their voices professionally or personally, voice changes can improve with hormone therapy and vocal care strategies. Staying hydrated, using humidifiers, and working with voice specialists can help you adapt to and manage vocal changes And there you have it, symptom number 40, [00:10:00] voice changes.
Now, think about that for a minute. Something as personal as your voice can change during the menopause transition, and many women may never have even been told that there's even a possible connection. But here's something equally important. Just because you're going through menopause doesn't mean that every change you're experiencing is automatically caused by menopause.
And that's why understanding the possible connections and knowing when to investigate other causes is so important, and that's really the whole purpose behind this book. It's not about convincing you that every symptom is menopause related, right? It's about making sure that you have the information that you need to recognize what may be connected, to understand what else could be going on, and to have more informed conversations with your healthcare provider.
That's education [00:11:00] before intervention. Now, if you found today's reading helpful, imagine having that kind of information available for 80 different symptoms and side effects. Everything from hot flashes and sleep disturbances to changes in vision, digestive health, cognitive function, emotional wellbeing, and yes, even your voice.
That's what you'll find in Decoding the 80 Symptoms and Side Effects of Menopause. And remember, you don't have to read it from beginning to end. You can go directly to the symptom that you're experiencing, understand the possible connections, explore your options, and identify your next steps. Now, if you'd like to get a copy, I'll include the information in the episode description so that you can find it easily
And also, since I mentioned my interview with Nancy Boss in today's reading, I think hearing her story firsthand will give you an even deeper [00:12:00] understanding of what we just discussed. So if today's episode made you think, "Wait a minute, could menopause actually be affecting my voice?" You should definitely check out the episode with Nancy. It was a fascinating conversation about menopause and voice, including what happened to her own voice, and how that experience led her to explore this often overlooked area of women's health. So check out my full interview with Nancy Boss linked in the episode description. Thanks so much for tuning in. Until next time, stay safe and be well.
