Fortunately many times the vocation makes its way into people’s lives and there are many who get a profession that in addition to livelihood brings them pleasure, but among all types of work there are many that condition the appearance of certain illnesses or occupational diseases. That transform pleasure into suffering.
The affection of the larynx of the teachers
- I reflect this way after meeting one of my most beloved childhood teachers. To her I owe not only the first sounds and traces, but also the discovery of the immense world that is hidden in books and when the school library no longer satisfied the interests of this restless girl, she offered me here and in it I found the most incredible collection of adventure books and romance novels I have ever seen.
- But my teacher, still full of energy, can no longer return to the classroom. She told me with sincere pity – I saw it in her eyes – and I thought how much it would have cost her to make that decision and also the children who will no longer listen to her stories or play at being like teacher M. All the talking silenced her, a few pesky nodules have tied up her vocal cords and broken her voice. The occasional hoarseness that he relieved with gargles of honey and lemon became chronic to the point of making it impossible for him to continue practicing her profession.
- But the case of my teacher M is more frequent than we imagine. Being in front of a noisy class, like almost all classes, especially if it is for primary studies, requires a very large dedication in frankly deplorable conditions in many public schools around the world, with dozens of students per classroom that do not meet the indicated acoustics.
- These factors are propitious for many teachers to suffer, like M, from chronic nodular laryngitis, a disease that he classifies among the so-called “professionals” and whose main symptom is hoarseness that appears as a consequence of a functional disorder of the vocal cord caused by excessive use of the voice, poor vocal technique and inflammation of the affected area.
- In addition to the professional use of the voice, this disease has other risk factors, among which are smoking and the inhalation of other chemical substances such as petroleum derivatives.
- Sometimes the solution to this ailment is surgical, and by removing the nodule it is completely resolved, but when this evil appendage is too large, notches may remain in the vocal cords and with them permanent damage to the voice.
- It is therefore important that future teachers, a profession in which women are the majority, learn to use their main instrument of work, the voice, just as singers or announcers do, and that their study plans include teaching the breathing techniques, voice modulation, as well as the risks posed by the smoking habit