Sir Elton John, British singer and composer, headlined this year’s Glastonbury Music Festival by setting the record for the most-watched live singer in history.
These were the historic moments when more than seven million people flocked to the BBC to watch Sir Elton John’s final UK performance.
The 76-year-old singer put on a great show, but the change in his voice throughout his career may have only been noticed by those who have followed his music for decades.
And the change didn’t just come when he underwent surgery in the 1980s for some medical problems with his vocal cords in his throat.
So can we stop the effects of age on our voice?
A woman’s voice may vary during the menstrual cycle
It should be noted that vocal chords produce sound from our throat. A part of our respiratory system is the larynx.
which is actually the pipe-like thing that carries air through the throat to our lungs. When air passes through the larynx during breathing, it causes sound.
The vocal cords have three main parts. The vocal folds, the vocal ligaments and then the glandular membrane to cover them.
The function of this membrane is to keep the surface moist and protect them from damage. The vocal cords also contain about 17 other muscles that can change the position and tension of the vocal cords and thus change the sound that comes out of the throat.
Boys and girls have little difference in voice before puberty, but during puberty hormones begin to take their toll.
This process changes the structure of the larynx, making men’s voices relatively heavier. After puberty, the length of the vocal cords is about 16 mm in males and 10 mm in females. After puberty, female vocal cords are 20 to 30 percent thinner.
Because of this shorter and thinner vocal cord, women’s voices are less heavy or thin than men’s.
Even after puberty, hormones can affect the voice. For example, a woman’s voice may vary depending on the stages of her menstrual cycle.
On the other hand, premenstrual hormonal changes tighten the vocal cords, so opera singers were given grace days (rest days) in the 1960s to ensure their voices didn’t suffer.
Voice changes can start as early as 30 years of age
Like almost every other part of the body, the voice ages, but these changes may not be noticeable to everyone.
As we get older, the larynx begins to increase its mineral content, making it harder than cartilage and more like bone.
This change can start in our 30s and affects men especially, making the vocal cords less flexible.
At the same time, many people begin to lose the muscles that help produce sound, like other muscles.
Decreased lung muscle function also reduces the force of air from the chest to produce sound and the ability to control the entire system, as well as decreased protective mucus-producing glands. It seems
Effects of smoking and alcohol on voice
Although most people’s vocal cords have a largely uniform lifespan, our lifestyle can increase the risk of damage to them and change the way we sound.
For example, smoking causes inflammation and increases mucus production, but it can also dry out the protective membranes, the same effect as alcohol.
Over time, these factors can damage the vocal cords and thus change our voice.
Certain medications can also cause our voice to change, such as steroid-inhalers. Blood thinners can also damage our throat and voice and cause polyps (growths of tissue in some part of the body) to form.
Polyps around the vocal tract in the throat can make the voice hoarse or hoarse. Muscle relaxants can also cause throat irritation and voice changes.
Irritation and changes caused by these drugs usually disappear after stopping use.