The Sound of My Voice
Voice shifts throughout the cycle
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Reading from Day 12 Spring/Summer Transition
Hi,
Welcome to all the new subscribers! Thanks for easing into the flow with me.
Women’s cycle awareness is the awareness that women operate in a monthly cyclical rhythm called the infradian rhythm. Yes, it has a name. The infradian rhythm is the hormonal clock that causes shifting energies every week of our monthly cycle. These four unique weeks match up to the yearly seasons and moon phases. It’s like we have a seasonal weather map written into our biology. Why haven’t we been taught this from puberty? I honestly don’t know.
If you are no longer bound by the menstrual phase(post menopause), follow along using the moon phases to keep yourself and your energies in rhythm.
To keep us all on track here is the quick refresher:
Click or visit the “Start Here” tab found on the homepage navigation bar.
Week 1/Inner Winter/Day 1-Day6ish/New Moon/Menstruation
Week2/Inner Spring/Day 6-Day 13ish/Waxing/Follicular
Week 3/Inner Summer/Day 14-Day19ish/Full Moon/Ovulation
Week 4/Inner Fall/Day 20ish-Day28ish/Waning/Luteal
More than Fertility
Imagine that. The sex hormones that circulate in our bodies do more than ovulation and menstruation.
In previous articles I have discussed estrogen, progesterone and testosterone receptors literally throughout the body. It’s been recently discovered that sex hormones are not just about reproduction. They control our entire bodies including our voices.1
And if we remember back to puberty, it was front and center.
Voice changes for the guys-
“Would you like fries with that, sir?” (squeak)
As a teen, I remember poking fun at my three adolescent brothers when their voices changed. Remember the fast food guy from the Simpsons?
This satirical poke is in fact the abrupt voice change that guys get when they hit puberty. As testosterone kicks up quite a few notches, the voice box goes through a series of changes lowering the pitch, due to the testosterone receptors in the adam’s apple.
The Adam's apple, called the laryngeal prominence, is present at birth. It grows during puberty due to the increase in testosterone which changes the shape causing the cartilage to thicken and tilt forward. The rapid growth makes it difficult to control pitch. And it makes me laugh every time I hear it.
And it makes me wonder…
During puberty young women go through a series of vocal changes and development as well including thickening and slight deepening of the larynx (voice box). But it doesn’t stop there.
Due to the estrogen and progesterone swings and the slight change in testosterone throughout the month, leads me to this question- Does my voice change throughout the menstrual month?
That is the focus of today’s topic.
After years of tracking my own cycle and also talking very openly to everyone with-in talking range, my theory was this:
Speaking and singing are most easily expressed in the Summer phase. These days vary but somewhere along the lines of days 12-19. This is the most expressive phase. This is also when all of the hormones crescendo with ovulation.
So it makes complete sense that as the hormones crescendo, then so would the voice. Does it make sense that hormones and voice are so closely connected?
What’s in a voice?
Voice Box- a cartilaginous area above the windpipe that contains the vocal folds.
Vocal Folds- two muscular tissue bands that constrict and relax. The shape, size, and vibration contributes to vocal sounds and pitch.
Resonating cavities- made up by the throat, mouth, nose. These contribute to the quality of pitch, volume and tone.
The sound of a voice is made when the brain signals the vocal folds (bands of tissue in the voice box) to constrict and air is forced from the lungs through the larynx and resonates through the vocal cavities.
Estrogen’s role in voice quality and speech
Estrogen receptors play a role in the larynx by lubricating the voice box and keeping a healthy state of the voice box tissue.
Some authors suggest that the best voice quality is observed during the ovulatory phase when estrogen reaches its highest levels [20]. This is not surprising considering that estrogen promotes increased secretion of mucus by the glandular cells above and below the vocal fold edges, resulting in better mucosal viscosity… 2
I feel my most expressive self during ovulation and sometimes I experience that ovulatory glow. I find it easier to communicate verbally during this time as well.
The urge to sing in the shower or in my car emerges during the sweet spot between late Summer phase and early Fall. This period combines my creative flair of Fall with the expressive Summer feels, making me feel that my vocal range may be at its strongest.
“Some days I feel like singing and some days I dont even want to talk!”
~Shelby Tutty
After chatting with a few women I know, there seems to be an agreement that they enjoy their voice and singing during days 16-23 or as I call it, late Summer and early Fall phase. This is not a scholarly scientific experiment and the variable is that these women are my age 40-45 range.
I would love to hear from you. What days do you really enjoy speaking and/or singing?
If you are perimenopausal or postmenopausal, have you noticed a change in your voice quality or pitch? I’ll get to this in a bit.
PMS VOICE
Progesterone’s effect on voice
In the second half of the cycle is known as the Luteal phase. This is when the ovaries release an egg and then the empty egg sac signals and produces progesterone. Guess what? There are progesterone receptors in the voice box as well.
Progesterone causes changes to the voice box by essentially drying and swelling the tissue, causing the voic box to shed epithelial/skin cells. This causes changes in the muscular fitness of the vocal folds and the way the vocal folds vibrate.
Here is a Chart of Progesterone’s effect on the vocal cords, causing swelling and inflammation in the Luteal phase/Fall phase or Days 18ish-28ish, of a healthy cycle.
Progesterone has an effect on the nose and throat cavities as well causing more congestion.
There is actually a term for this. Dysphonia premenstrualis which is basically pms of the vocal cords. One research paper describes it as, “decreased vocal efficiency, reduced flexibility, breathiness, fatigued voice, loss of high notes, hoarseness, intonation problems, and muffled voice.1” 3
Do you ever just feel out of breath?
Lung function changes through the cycle as well possibly due to progesterone receptors in the lungs. This is fairly new research and I am eagerly waiting for more.
“We found better lung functions which were statistically significant in luteal phase as compared to follicular phase of our subjects indicating a possible role of progesterone”4
This leads me to think about that sweet spot in late ovulation and early luteal phase. Ovulation drives estrogen up and then progesterone rises as well making vocal pitch, strength and lung capacity at its highest, not to mention the prime time for expression, creativity and social energy.
One of the most significant findings in my research?
Vocal cord tissue and cervical tissue have a lot in common.
“Surprisingly, at each phase of the cycle, the smears from the cervix and larynx were indistinguishable.” See the full article here. 5
Okay, are you still with me?
Grace Periods
In Early 19th Century Europe, opera houses had "grace periods" or “grace days” for female singers, which allowed singers to miss performances during their menstrual cycle due to vocal strain associated with hormonal changes.
As of 2018, Ukraine Opera houses were still allowing for these grace periods and the singers were getting paid leave during this time.6
Aging Gracefully
As women go through the shift of perimenopause, at first progesterone takes a dive. This causes estrogen to spike higher in the second half of the cycle which triggers a worsening of premenstrual symptoms.
In the later stages of perimenopause, estrogen begins a wild ride. From riding high to dropping low during both follicular (Spring and Summer) and luteal (Fall and Winter) phases you can bet this causes significant changes in a woman’s body. It’s basically like a second puberty and yes, she does want fries with that.
The drops in progesterone begin to have an effect on ovulation and the eventual drop in estrogen pretty much seals the deal for menopause.
VOICE CHANGES AS WE AGE:
Atrophy of the voice box
Reduced volume and projection
Vocal fatigue
Pitch inaccuracies
Rough or hoarse vocal sound
Tremor or shakiness in the voice
Increased breathy tone7
Is there a connection between vaginal changes and also voice changes in perimenopause?
Turns out, maybe so. Both have estrogen receptors and when estrogen drops during the late stages of perimenopause it can affect both the cervical and vaginal tissue as well as the vocal fold tissue.
As estrogen diminishes both tissues begin to atrophy. Both experience dryness, thinning and irritation as a result.
The classic deepening voice in some women is due to an increase in androgen (mainly testosterone).
The jury is still out on this concept and it may be a controversial subject, but is it possible that menopause hormone therapy may reverse these tissue changes vaginally and and possibly vocally as well? 8 More research is needed in this area.
Thyroid Dysfunction
One other reason for voice change may be due to thyroid dysfunction.
“Up to 80% of patients with hypothyroidism may have voice complaints, with the frequency of voice problems increasing with more severe hypothyroidism… Vocal fatigue, softening of the voice, reduced voice range, and globus sensation may be observed even in mild hypothyroidism.” 9
**If for any reason you have experienced vocal changes, see your physician to get to the root cause.
One other mention is that research has found that there are no changes across the menstrual cycle for those on hormonal birth control. This is because hormonal birth control essentially stops ovulation so there is no estrogen peak and no progesterone made by the ovaries.
A natural approach to keeping the voice juicy
Chorus America Organization recommends:
Slippery Elm- is a North American tree that contains mucilage in its bark. This slippery element also works to lubricate the areas of our body that need lubrication, think digestive track, the larynx and also “down there”.
Cayenne- “To reduce a sore throat, stop inflammation, and stop potential infection, use five drops of cayenne extract or a small pinch of powder mixed with warm water and honey.”
Licorice- Anti-inflammatory properties. Used to soothe sore or tired throat.
Sage- Can use it as a gargle to heal the throat. It is especially effective when combined with licorice and propolis and used as a gargle to help heal laryngitis.10
Be sure to research this yourself before taking it and ask your pharmacist if there are any interactions you should know about.
Bringing it all together:
There is no wrong time to sing your heart out. But how cool is it to know that there may be a link between your strongest and weakest time to do it?
Going with the flow of using our voice, we can use our calendar to activate our optimum times to understand our cycle and use it while we still got it!
Some observations I have made of myself.
Spring- the mind and body are active which makes for quick and chatty conversation. Vocal range may be a bit high and abrupt.
Summer- Social energy ramps up yet communication balances out. It may be your most go with the flow time. Singing comes easy as does talking with everyone.
Fall- Early Fall kicks in a creative urge to express oneself. Combining an estrogen rebound and a rise in progesterone, early Fall brings lung capacity, a more soulful pitch and creative muse. Late fall brings up strong emotion, yet the head space is not always there to bring it all together. Lower ability to communicate.
Winter- With all hormones and energies low, the sounds of winter silence may only entice humming. Words are slower and with a lower pitch. This is a great time for reading poetry or storytime as the grandmother energy takes the stage.
Do any of these findings resonate with you?
Hear it from The Periprofessional
as she explains the ins and outs of voice changes in perimenopause. She has many more amazing articles. Get the inside scoop at The Periprofessional.
That’s it for today.
Thanks for Going With The Flow,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S089219971300012X
https://ejo.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43163-024-00578-5 “Most vocal abnormalities in postmenopausal females have been proven to be reversed by hormone replacement therapy (HRT) [37]. The studies of D’haeseleer et al. [38] and Hamdan et al. [39] indicated that menopausal women on HRT have a higher habitual pitch compared to those not on HRT, demonstrating the counter effect of oestrogen replacement on the VFs”
https://chorusamerica.org/singers/natural-vocal-care
This web site is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition.
Along these lines, a great deal of research now looks at the relationship between hormonal voice changes and health. Dr. Yael Bensoussan, who runs the USF Voice Center, notes that 60% of women going through menopause report voice changes, and while some women don’t care that their voice sounds a little deeper or raspier, for some women, this has a significant impact on quality of life, and mood. These voice changes can cause someone to change the way they breathe, develop a persistent cough, and adopt clavicular breathing techniques that, when utilized for prolonged periods, can lead to increased head, shoulder, and neck muscle tension. She is also researching using AI to analyze changes in the voice that can be used as a predictor and marker of estrogen levels. More to come on this - I hope to get Dr. Bensoussan on a future podcast episode!
Great post! My area of expertise is menopause. It is well known that post menopause women’s voices change as a result of estrogen deprivation, which can be career ending for singers, voice over artist, etc. in addition to using systemic estrogen to prevent those voice changes, in many ENT clinics, a compounded estradiol nasal spray is used to protect the larynx. This is also the reason that sleep apnea increases post menopause and that some women get voice changes from post menopause testosterone therapy. I have a podcast episode called menopause and The Voice, which goes through all of this information. Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information. I’m new to substack and migrating my podcast etc here.