Vocal Problem: Neglected Occupational Hazard In Teaching Profession

Teachers represent noble professional who use their voice as primary job task. Teachers are vulnerable to occupational voice disorder due to incessation of voice usage. The earlier studies focused on the association between vocal disorders on par with their work load. The present study is to determine frequency and types of vocal problems in teachers. To know the Vicissitude and transitory of symptoms in both groups. A cross sectional study was done with questionnaire. The sample size includes 758 teaching professionals and 836 non teaching professionals. Vocal parameters like Throat discomfort, Impairment in pitch and Impairment of voice were considered for this study. Vocal symptoms were more prevalent in teaching professionals than non-teaching professionals. Among all the symptoms the impairments in pitch (low pitch voice) 19.6 % (teaching professionals), 10% (non-teaching professionals), Impairments in voice (Creaky voice) 21.5% (teaching professionals), 9.5% (non-teaching professionals) were the early vocal symptoms noticed in both teaching&non-teaching professionals. The intensity of voice symptoms was similar in both groups and a two fold increase was observed in teaching professionals than in non-teaching professionals. Teachers are unaware of voice related occupational hazards due to continuous use of voice. So the study recommends that all the educational institutions and schools should come forward to retard vocal problems in teachers by conducting vocal training programs.