--SUPERS --
:20-:25
Dr. L. Arick Forrest
Ohio State Univ. Voice and Swallowing Clinic

:29-:36
Dr. L. Arick Forrest
Ohio State Univ. Voice and Swallowing Clinic

:41-:46
Dr. L. Arick Forrest
Ohio State Univ. Voice and Swallowing Clinic

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Football fanatics and baseball enthusiasts, listen up. It's ok to cheer for your team, but do it carefully, because you could harm your voice. Here's Susan Hendricks with today's Health Minute.
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WHAT WOULD A GAME BE LIKE WITHOUT ENTHUSIASTIC FANS?
SO IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT MANY OF THESE FANATICS CAN LOSE THEIR VOICES AFTER A ROUSING SPORTING EVENT.
BUT NOW DOCTORS ARE FINDING THEY COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURING THEIR VOCAL CORDS IN THE PROCESS.
When you use a very loud explosive voice, you can cause significant damage to your vocal cords and that can occur with just one yell.
AND THAT CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS DAMAGE.
A single yell will either produce a hemorrhage that will go away, or a polyp, or hemorrhagic polyp that may be permanent, unless you have it surgically removed.
SO HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'VE DAMAGED YOUR VOCAL CORDS?
You'll start to hear your voice crack a little bit or get a little bit raspy, and that should be your clue that something is wrong here.
AND WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SAVE THEM?
PHYSICIANS RECOMMEND YOU KEEP QUIET, GIVE THE CORDS A REST.
DRINK WATER TO KEEP THE CORDS MOIST.
IF YOU MUST CHEER WARM UP YOUR CORDS BEFORE THE GAME.
AND DOCTORS RECOMMEND ONCE YOU WARM UP, YELL WITH ONE BLAST, NOT WITH A LOT OF WORDS.
Yelling and saying words is actually a lot harder than just like holding out a tone, like a singer would do.
IF YOU HAVE HOARSENESS THAT LASTS 24 HOURS OR LONGER, IT COULD MEAN POSSIBLE PROBLEMS.
YOU MAY NEED THERAPY OR EVEN SURGERY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.
IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW ENTHUSIASTIC YOU'VE BEEN.
FOR TODAY'S HEALTH MINUTE, I'M SUSAN HENDRICKS.
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