Apart from anatomy, stress, anxiety, excitement (any emotion that causes us to move from baseline), causes our voice to increase in pitch. When people become frightened or excited, the muscles around the voice box (or larynx) unconsciously contract, putting strain on the vocal cords, making the pitch higher.
The problem can be from using one's voice incorrectly- such as in a falsetto- which should respond to voice therapy. Vocal cord paralysis or vocal cord nodules or polyps can result in a high pitched voice which is also usually breathy.
Puberphonia (also known as mutational falsetto, functional falsetto, incomplete mutation, adolescent falsetto, or pubescent falsetto) is a functional voice disorder that is characterized by the habitual use of a high-pitched voice after puberty, hence why many refer to the disorder as resulting in a 'falsetto' voice.
Before your growth spurt, your larynx is relatively small and your vocal cords are relatively thin. So your voice is high and kid-like. But as bones, cartilage, and vocal cords grow, your voice starts to sound like an adult's.
If you sound like a child, it is most likely that you are not using enough diaphragm support to release your singing voice in a relaxed mode; instead you constrict your throat more, in order to squeeze out your voice.
This change in pitch and vocal quality is called presbyphonia and a lot of it has to do with declining levels of testosterone.
Symptoms of Puberphonia
Breathiness. Low intensity. Neck and throat tension. Breaks in phonation and frequency.
When recorded, you might hear your voice sound shallower than you're used to. This is because the recordings are not affected by the internal resonance and bone conduction that affects how your voice sounds. However, the way your voice sounds on recordings is the way people perceive it in real life.
In females, the voice box sits higher up and vocal cords vibrate 130 – 200 times per minute, Hence female voices sound higher in pitch than males. Apart from anatomy, stress, anxiety, excitement (any emotion that causes us to move from baseline), causes our voice to increase in pitch.
The only permanent and confirmed ways to deepen your voice are hormonal therapy and surgery, and those are a bit over-the-top for people who just want a slightly lower pitch.
You may have a voice disorder if you have a problem with pitch, volume, tone, and other qualities of your voice. These problems occur when your vocal cords don't vibrate normally. Your voice is the sound that air makes when it is forced out of your lungs and passes over your vocal cords.
Why do some men squeak? Simple. High-pitched voices exist thanks to vocal cords that aren't as long, strong, or ready for good vibrations as others, Ingo Titze, Ph. D., executive director of the National Center for Voice and Speech, told Fatherly.
It may not surprise you that genetic factors influence vocal quality. After all, voice qualities are largely determined by the size and shape of your larynx, neck, throat and facial structures all determined by genetics. But the influence of environment is too strong to be ignored.
Take a deep breath and blow into your straw. Try to create a consistent and even stream of bubbles. Repeat step one, this time while “humming” on one continual pitch. Repeat step one, this time while moving between 2 pitches that are one octave apart (you can slowly slide between them for an extra challenge).
Signs and symptoms of high testosterone in men
Excess testosterone can lead to more aggressive and irritable behavior, more acne and oily skin, even worse sleep apnea (if you already have it), and an increase in muscle mass.
Women are more attracted to men with deep voices – and this attraction is strongest among prettier, more feminine women. In fact, women prefer a masculine voice more strongly and more unanimously to a masculine face.
Research confirms that deep voices give men an aura of power and sexual allure. Men with low, resonant voices are more likely to be perceived as attractive, masculine, respectable, and dominant.
When you go through puberty, your voice deepens. Men's voices often deepen up to an octave, while women's voices usually move about three tones lower. After puberty and well into older adulthood, some people's voices may change, but not everyone's.
One surgery shown to reduce the pitch of one's speaking voice permanently is called a thyroplasty and it involves reducing the tension in the vocal chords. Another involves injecting a subjects own fat into their vocal folds, which can reportedly lower pitches and improve voice quality.
She explained that younger children tend to use this form of vocal regression to cope with anxiety, when they are feeling overwhelmed or battling intrusive, distressing emotions and thoughts. For older children, she said, “it can stem from low self-esteem or is used to seek attention from peers and/or adults.”
Baby talk shouldn't be a huge cause for concern. Sometimes it stems from a stressful situation, such as having a new baby in the home. Other times, children revert to baby talk because they miss being a young child and they want to be coddled again.
For women with a voice that sounds like a man, it could be because of the size and thickness of their vocal cords, in which case, they'll need to develop full resonance too, to make their voice sound warmer, an essential quality of a female voice.