0751 – A Moment On Mucus

2023.01.21 – 0751 – A Moment On Mucus

So, hydration affects the folds specifically in two ways:

·        ‘Systemic hydration’ is the term for hydrating your whole body, the cells and the tissues from inside out

·        ‘Topical (or ‘surface’) hydration’ affects the moisture levels of the surface of the vocal folds, keeping them slippery enough to vibrate.

The vocal folds are covered in a thin protective coating of slippery, stringy and slimy mucus[1] made up of water, antibodies, enzymes, proteins and salt. This film allows for optimum vibration with minimal effort, protects the folds from heat and friction, and also helps your tongue form word-sounds more easily.

If air is the fuel for the voice, the lubricants of mucus and saliva are its oil.

When you get dehydrated the mucus becomes thicker and offers less protection and it’s more difficult to talk and damage can be caused to your cords.

So, let’s hear it for a moist voice and a lubricated larynx!

The health of vocal cords is measured in part by their PTP, the ‘Phonation Threshold Pressure’: the minimum pressure needed to get the cords vibrating and making a sound. The higher the viscosity of the cords (that is the thicker the mucous, because of dehydration), the higher the PTP, and therefore the more pressure needed from your lungs to produce a sound.[2]

[1] What’s the difference between ‘mucus’ and ‘mucous’? ‘Mucus’ is the noun and ‘mucous’ is the adjective, so mucous membranes secrete mucus. It’s not only snotty (!) biologists who insist on distinguishing between these two words.

[2] https://www.drinkhydrant.com/blogs/news/hydrate-your-voice

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