UC HEALTH LINE: Region's First World Voice Day Event Studies, Celebrates Voice

CINCINNATI—To recognize World Voice Day 2011, UC Health voice specialists will host the region's first World Voice Day event, an educational symposium for the local occupational and professional voice user.

The event, Saturday, April 16, at the Manor House Banquet and Conference Center in Mason, Ohio, is a partnership between the UC Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and the UC Health Voice and Swallowing Center. Sessions will feature UC speech pathologists, voice teachers, a neurologist and laryngologist discussing use and care of the voice among several important populations.

Sessions include:

• Voice 101: The Basics, covering how the voicebox looks and works as well as common voice problems and treatment options
• Care of the Singing and Acting Voice, an interactive session focusing on voice problems experienced by performers and preventative exercises
• Medical and Surgical Treatments for the Neurological Voice Disorders, discussing treatments for voice problems seen in Parkinson's disease, vocal cord paralysis and other neurological conditions
• The Aging Voice, covering why voice can change with age and what can be done to preserve it.

The day will end with performances from local singers and a patient panel featuring individuals who have been affected by a voice disorder.

UC Health laryngologist Sid Khosla, MD, hopes to reach the region's professional and occupation users with the World Voice Day event.

Khosla, the only fellowship-trained laryngologist in the Greater Cincinnati area, says he sees many patients with mild to moderate vocal problems who may have been able to avoid them with proper preventative care.

For professional voice users like teachers or lecturers, he says it's not uncommon for vocal problems to manifest as fatigue—users could find that their voice tires out easily or they have trouble finishing presentations. He says teachers are at the highest risk for voice problems, the most likely of any group to have a vocal injury lead to reduced work or early retirement.

If left untreated, Khosla says, voice problems can affect patients' social and mental health.

"Voice problems can be alienating for patients, leading to social isolation and, in some cases, depression," he says. "It can be devastating to lose the ability to share your voice, but there are many treatment options available."

To catch voice problems early, Khosla and other UC Health voice specialists will hold free voice screenings at World Voice Day April 16 and also April 14-15 at two UC Health locations.

During the screenings, doctors will teach patients about proper vocal hygiene and care and educate them on risk factors or signs of a vocal problem. Such signs can include hoarseness lasting for more than three weeks, a chronic cough or decreased vocal range.

For an appointment with UC Health's otolaryngology team, call (513) 475-8400. For more information on World Voice Day, call (513) 475-TALK or email angie.keith@ucphysicians.com.