Question:
I lost my temper and really shouted loudly. I didn’t notice any change in my speaking tone till 4 days later when my wife asked me to put household bleach on the patio. I then hosed it down. Later when somebody said hello to me, I noticed a change in my pitch, tone etc. I don’t know now whether the bleach had anything to do with it or not; it’s now just 2 weeks since that incident. The GP said there is no infection in my throat, and it will take a bit of time to heal. Some days later while medicating my dog, he bit me very hard and I screamed out in pain. I don’t seem to be able to shut up. I also haven’t slept very well since last February, and that has made me rather anxious. Could it also be hay fever? Many people say they don’t notice much of a difference in my voice. What can I do?
Answer:
Almost any of these things can cause a vocal shift and limitation.
— Unless you have a serious chemical sensitivity, the bleach should not have had any real or lasting effect. It’s not optimal but a one-time exposure normally leaves the system quickly.
— Shouting loudly can cause a burst blood vessel, which takes time to heal. And it can fail to heal if you pressure the voice to compensate for the injury.
— Shouting again when the dog bit could re-injure.
— Hay fever can also cause vocal dysfunction and fatigue.
The best thing you can do is see and ENT or laryngologist to determine what, if any vocal damage has occurred and what is causing it.
Then you need to take any medical treatment prescribed as well as seeing a speech pathologist to help you correct the way you are using the voice so that it heals properly and permanently.