Your chest vibrates when you talk due to a phenomenon called vocal fremitus, which is the transmission of vibrations produced by your vocal cords through your body. Here's a breakdown of how it happens:
How Vocal Fremitus Works
- When you speak, your vocal cords in your larynx vibrate, creating sound waves.
- These sound waves aren't confined to just the air; they also create vibrations in the tissues and structures of your throat and chest.
- The vibration transmits through your trachea (windpipe), bronchial tubes, and lung tissues.
- These vibrations then reach the chest wall, where you can feel them as a slight trembling or vibration.
Tactile Fremitus Explained
- Tactile fremitus is the technical term for feeling these vibrations on your chest wall.
- This vibration is often assessed during a physical exam to evaluate the condition of your lungs. A doctor might place their hands on your chest and ask you to say specific words to feel these vibrations.
- Changes in the intensity of the vibrations can indicate certain lung conditions. For example, increased fremitus might suggest fluid or consolidation in the lungs, while decreased fremitus could indicate air trapping or a barrier to vibration.
Why You Feel It
- The vibrations are naturally more noticeable when you speak louder or use deeper tones.
- The thinness of your chest wall also makes the vibrations more noticeable, especially in some areas.
- This is a normal and expected part of the process of speech and is not usually a cause for concern.
Vocal Resonance
- Related to vocal fremitus, vocal resonance is the assessment of sound through a stethoscope on the chest wall while certain words are spoken, instead of feeling the vibrations by hand. Both tactile fremitus and vocal resonance are parts of a lung assessment called vocal fremitus.
- The sound heard through the stethoscope is different for healthy lungs versus unhealthy ones.
Summary
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Vocal Fremitus | Vibration of the chest wall caused by speech. |
| Tactile Fremitus | Feeling of vibrations on chest from speaking. |
| Vocal Resonance | Sound of spoken words heard through a stethoscope. |
| Cause | Vocal cord vibrations transmitted through tissues. |
| Assessment | Used to assess lung conditions during physical exams. |
