We live in a talkative society. Millions of people depend on their voices every day for work– teachers, telemarketers, therapists, singers-- the list goes on. But if you over-use your voice you can get sore, hoarse and even develop calluses or nodules on your vocal cords. Doctors at Mayo Clinic say learning to use your voice correctly can help keep the dialogue going.

“Moo, moo, moo, moo, moo.”

A conversation in nonsense syllables.

“Mama. Papa. Mama.”

These exercises may sound a little silly, but they are training 16-year-old Christina Sparks to use her voice efficiently.

“Singing is just my passion,” she says.

You see, the way Christina was singing and speaking put strain on her vocal cords.

“I sang a solo. ‘Somewhere over the rainbow.’ And I woke up the next morning with a large enflamed throat.”

Dr. Diana Orbelo says that Christina was diagnosed with vocal nodules, which are calluses like bumps on her vocal cords. It can happen to anybody who sings, talks a lot or screams at a football game.

“When we breathe the vocal cords are open. When we say “eeeee” then they come together," says Orbelo.

The vocal cords vibrate very fast – about 200 times a second for most women. But if strained during use, the vocal cords can develop lesions, such as nodules. Polyps or cysts, and work less efficiently. There may be some pain in the neck area or just a breathy, hoarse voice. But vocal therapy may reverse the damage and help your voice sound better and last longer.

“Just like any athlete, you have to have speed, agility, flexibility and endurance,” says Orbelo.

And just like an athletic coach, Dr. Orbelo put Christina on a training program so she can be vocally fit in the short term to sing solo’s in the choir, and in the long term to sing lullabies to her future grandchildren.

Again, it’s not just singers who develop voice problems. Anyone can. For example, every year close to 28-million workers in the U.S. miss days because of voice problems. If you’re a teacher who can’t talk, you’re in trouble. But voice therapy can help. For more information visit the Mayo Clinic’s web site www.mayoclinic.org/medical-edge.