Persistent voice troubles require consulting a doctor

Voice troubles may also be due to a cold. BDA

Professor at the Freiburg Institute of Musicology, German Professor Bernhard Richter, said that voice problems include hoarseness, roughness, pain, burning and tightness in the throat, explaining that "these troubles have several causes, most notably the strain of the vocal cord muscles, for example, due to speaking loudly over a long period of time."

"Voice troubles may also be due to a cold, and that voice problems can be countered by drinking plenty of fluids, chewing sugar-free gum and bonbons, and quitting smoking. Singing also contributes to the training of the vocal cord muscles."

Richter stressed the need to consult an ear, nose and throat doctor if voice problems persist for more than six weeks, especially if the trouble is accompanied by other symptoms, such as: feeling a foreign body in the throat, shortness of breath, swelling of the throat and weight loss within a short period, as trouble may then portend serious illness.