Hay fever… “Nasal voice” can be solved with voice training!　Ask a voice professional about “easy voice training before a meeting”.

Immediate results!　Pre-meeting voice training makes it harder to keep your voice down.

The dispersion of cedar pollen has reached its peak. This spring, the amount of airborne pollen is high, more than double that of previous years in some areas. In addition to typical symptoms such as runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes, businessmen are bothered by a nasal voice.

One effective way to improve such a nasal voice by oneself is voice training, which is also used by voice professionals.

The voice is created by breath coming from both the nasal and oral cavities through the vocal cords. When the nasal mucosa swells due to inflammation caused by pollen, the nasal cavity becomes swollen and narrowed, which leads to nasal congestion. This results in nasal congestion, which reduces the airflow through the nasal cavity, making it difficult for sound to resonate and causing the voice to be muffled.

In addition, excessive nasal mucus falls into the throat, which causes a feeling of irritation, phlegm accumulation, and other symptoms that interfere with vocalization. Mouth breathing due to a stuffy nose also dries out the throat and vocal cords, causing hoarseness and hoarseness.

Takuya Tsukasa, a business voice trainer and expert on the voice and speaking style, says, “A simple voice training session, such as humming, can help you improve your voice.

Simple voice training, such as humming, can make your voice much easier to carry.

Humming” improves a nasal voice and gives a calm voice.

To do this, keep your mouth closed and let the sound resonate in your nasal cavity by making a “nnooooo” sound. Continue for 5 to 10 seconds and repeat for 3 to 5 sets.

Humming promotes blood flow by vibrating the nasal passages and relieves swelling of the nasal mucosa. It is also reported to increase nitric oxide (NO) and aid in antibacterial and vasodilation (*1), and is recommended when you want to improve or prevent a nasal sound. After humming, your voice will resonate more easily in the nasal cavity, and you will be able to speak in a calm voice that is easy to pass through,” says Takuya Tsukasa.

Nyanya-nyanya” training for a brighter, more energetic voice.

Repeat 3 to 5 sets of “meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow .

When you make a high “meow-meow-meow ……” voice, it is easier to raise the back of the oral cavity and the sound will reverberate in the mouth when you speak. The hard-to-hear voice stuck in the nose becomes clearer and clearer.

Because of its immediate effect, if you do it just before talking to someone in a meeting or on the phone, your nasal, muffled voice will improve and you will find it easier to speak in a bright, energetic voice. If it is difficult to speak because there are other people around you, you can also make a “meow” sound by lifting the corners of your mouth without speaking, hold it for 0.5 seconds, and then start speaking.

Attack Vocalization”: Changing the vocalization method to create a voice that is easier to understand

When speaking, accentuate the “first sound” of the word.

A nasal voice causes speech without intonation, making it difficult for the other person to understand what you want to say. Attack vocalization is a method of speaking with an accent at the beginning of nouns and phrases. This can be done even if you have a stuffy nose. Just by being aware of this method, you can make your speech sound fuller and more energetic.

For example, if you want to say, “Mr. Sato, please prepare some materials for me,” you should put accents on the first three syllables: “Sa” for “Mr. Sato,” “Shi” for “prepare materials,” and “O” for “please. Even if your voice is nasal, the sounds will reach you and you will sound confident and resilient.

Excessive alcohol and caffeine consumption may worsen symptoms

In order to avoid worsening nasal sound, it is important not to cause inflammation of the nasal mucosa. To do this, the first step is to prevent pollen from entering the body by using basic items such as masks and glasses. If symptoms are so severe that they affect your daily life, take it easy and seek medical attention.

Also, gargle your mouth and nose to wash away inhaled pollen, and humidify your nose and throat to prevent them from drying out. A lifestyle that does not lower the immune system, such as sleep and nutritional management through diet, is the basis of pollen control. Voice professionals such as singers and voice actors also place great importance on this.”

Also, be aware of daily lifestyle habits that can aggravate hay fever.

Alcohol and caffeine have diuretic effects, so avoid excessive consumption to prevent dryness of the mucous membranes. Forcing yourself to speak loudly because you have difficulty speaking due to nasal congestion is also a no-no, as it puts a heavy burden on the vocal cords and pharynx, leading to further voice problems. During hay fever season, it is important to take care of your nose and throat.

From late March to April, cypress pollen also begins to be dispersed. Will you wait for the season to pass with a nasal voice, or will you improve your nasal voice through self-care and have a voice that is easy to pass through? In the business world, it is likely to make a difference in the impression you give to others.

(*1) Journal of Immunology and Allergy of the Otorhinolaryngology (JJIAO) 31(3):225-229,2013 Nitric oxide (NO) and sinusitis pathology

Takuya Tsukasa is a business voice trainer. Representative of “Voice of Frontier,” a school for the speaking voice and speaking style. He has solved such problems as “my voice is not influential,” “I worry about people’s eyes when I speak,” and “I have stage fright and can’t speak,” through his unique voice training. He has helped more than 10,000 people with voice and speaking problems, including business people, executives, professionals, teachers, actors, voice actors, announcers, and job hunters, through training that incorporates psychology and brain science.

Click here for the website of “Voice of Frontier,” a school for the speaking voice and speaking style.