Voice Test app

About Voice Test app

This application offers you the possibility to test your voice and perform a simple check for health risk.

Voice of adult male and female are suitable for testing, not the children voice.

Your voice, artuclated in suggested way is recorded and analysed in your iPhone. Three important voice parameters are measured: frequency, jitter and shimmer. Obtained values are compared to thresholds given in references. Two level warning is issued, yellow indicating that the results are slightly different and red indicating that the difference is significant.

The purpose of this program is to increase awareness among users to pay attention to the health of their vocal folds.

Test results in this application have only indicative value and may in no case be a substitute for an examination performed by a professional.

Voice Test - User manual

1. Start the application
2. Select your gender by pressing the choice button (Male or Female)
3. Press button "Record 3 seconds". You must do the following:
4. If the signal was valid, calculation will be executed automatically in a few seconds. If signal was not valid, warning is issued and you should repeat the recording procedure.
5. When calculation is done, two new options are presented. "Results" button takes you to the new screen called "Results" with graphic representation of the results. "Play recording" allows you to listen the recorded voice.
6. If button "Results" is pressed, values of three voice parameters are presented in graphical (trafic light) and numerical form:
7. Green indicates that parameter is in the normal healthy voice range, yellow indicates that parameter is slightly out of range, and red indicates that parameter significantly exceeds boundaries of healthy human voice.
8. "Past results" button takes you to the screen for saving calculated parameters and also for viewing the previously saved parameters.To save Your voice parameters enter your name, date will be automatically added, and click "Save" button. History of results is presented in a table, for comparison purpose.

Medical background for Voice Test app

Human voice is a very complex phenomenon. It is essentially the sound uttered through the mouth of a human. Voice is the result of synergy of many human organs, namely lungs, vocal folds and articulators (tongue, palate, cheek, lips, etc.) within vocal tract.

Vocal folds (vocal cords, sometimes spelled as vocal chords) are two infoldings stretched horizontally across the larynx. They are open during inhalation, closed when holding the breath, and vibrating for speech and singing.

Sound is generated through the rhythmic opening and closing of the vocal folds. These organs are subject to various health risks.

Extreme use of the vocal cords, such as in kinder garden or school teachers, lecturers, singers, attorneys can damage the vocal cords. There are several typical complaints, including hoarseness, difficulty in voice production, speech fatigue, changes in the range of frequencies, throat irritation, and the feeling of a lump in the throat.

Throat irritation and the feeling of a lump in the throat, and of course, hoarseness in a smoker must always raise suspicion of larynx health risk.

Hints

You should say long letter /a/ in natural way, best as a part of a word, like in five /faaaaaiv/. Try to keep the power indicator within green range during three seconds for correct recording.

If results are not green, repeat the procedure several times until you are completely calm and settled.

If the warning (yellow or red) persists, it indicates that the voice parameters are different from standard values and you should visit your doctor

Test results in this application have only indicative value and may in no case be a substitute for an examination performed by a professional.

Experts in phoniatrics are able to determine the condition of vocal tract simply by hearing the human voice. They sometimes use sophisticated professional equipment, measure the voice parameters, evaluate the health condition of vocal folds and glottis and decide if medical treatment is required.

Smokers and people who speak much as a part of their profession belong to a high-risk group for developing the vocal fold disease.