I often suffer from a sore throat or cough. Why?

A sore throat, even being unable to speak at all, is common among call centre workers. It comes from handling dozens or even hundreds of calls a day, often under pressure, in a dry environment, without taking proper care of your voice.

Voice impairment (dysphonia) is an occupational illness affecting people in a wide range of jobs, especially teachers and call centre workers, for whom using their voice is an essential part of their job. An American study found that call centre workers were twice as likely as other workers to suffer voice problems. For further advice, go to taking care of your voice.