Who Are Professional Voice Users?
Anyone whose profession depends on their voice, or who needs a certain level of vocal quality to influence others, is considered a professional voice user. The first examples that come to mind are performing artists, singers, actors, broadcasters, and television professionals. Indeed, these are among the most typical professional voice users, where having a unique and distinct voice quality is fundamental to one’s career success.
However, there are many other professions in which spoken communication is essential to the job—such as teachers, call center employees, imams and muezzins, politicians, music teachers, vocal coaches, lawyers, sales representatives, and sports trainers. In these professions, maintaining an effective and high-quality voice is necessary for performing the job efficiently. Therefore, many other occupations beyond the performing arts also fall into the category of professional voice users.
Voice Problems Among Professional Voice Users
Professional voice users do not belong to a single occupational group; they represent a wide variety of professions that differ greatly in their vocal needs and expectations. For instance, a stage performer may visit a doctor immediately if unable to sing a specific note cleanly and brightly, whereas a kindergarten teacher might delay seeking medical help for vocal fatigue until their voice becomes almost completely hoarse.
Nevertheless, in all voice professionals, vocal problems can lead to social, emotional, and career-related difficulties to varying degrees. Certain voice problems are more likely to occur among professional voice users. This is quite natural—just as knee problems are common in football players or elbow issues in tennis players, it is not surprising for someone who speaks for long hours or sings for extended periods to develop a voice problem.
However, unlike athletes, many professional voice users tend to neglect proper vocal care and often ignore issues until the problem becomes severe. Unfortunately, they usually do not seek solutions until the condition significantly interferes with their professional performance
How Can Voice Problems Be Prevented?
The first and most important step is awareness. It is essential for individuals to recognize that their profession relies heavily on their voice and carries a high risk for developing vocal problems. Many people in vocally demanding professions are unaware of this until a problem arises.
The second important point is understanding that professions requiring intense voice use put individuals in a high-risk group for vocal issues. Regular self-monitoring—listening to and observing one’s own voice—is crucial for detecting potential problems at an early stage. Hoarseness should not be accepted as a natural or unavoidable outcome of such professions.
For example, the belief that “Vocal nodules are an occupational disease among teachers—it’s normal and cannot be prevented” is a common but false assumption. In reality, there are effective strategies to prevent voice problems (see Voice Hygiene for more information).
Finally, it should be known that many voice-related problems can be successfully treated with proper evaluation and appropriate therapy. With the right approach, individuals can continue their vocally demanding careers successfully and healthily.
It is strongly recommended that professional voice users be evaluated by an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist experienced in diagnosing and treating voice disorders.