After menopause, about 50 percent of women experience lower vocal tones, more throat dryness and the need to clear their throats more often. Of the following, which is the most likely hypothesis to explain this phenomenona. Since sex steroids play a role in size of the larynx and vocal cords, the lack of estrogen causes the vocal cords to become dry and mucus coats the vocal cords in an effort to lubricate them, resulting in lowered vocal tones.
b. Vocal cords are dependent upon air passing through the larynx to vibrate the vocal cords. As women age, their breathing becomes labored and heavy. Therefore the vibrations are not as fast and cause a lowering in tone levels.
c. As vocal cords of women age, they lose chondroitin and can no longer stretch or vibrate as efficiently as they did before menopause, resulting in lowered tone levels.
d. Since sex steroids play a role in size of the larynx and vocal cords, in postmenopausal women, the lack of estrogen allows the vocal cords to become thicker and longer, like that of males, thus having a similar effect as testosterone on vocal tone.