It’s the season for seasonal allergies, along with viral infections and subsequent hoarseness and voice loss – never welcome guests for singers. I am not a medical professional, but as a regular sufferer of allergies and other bronchial complaints I have learned a few tricks of the trade to alleviate symptoms.
1. Drink plenty of water. The Institute of Medicine advises that men consume roughly 3.0 liters (about 13 cups) of water a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of water a day.
2. Avoid tea, coffee, milk & alcohol as these can have a dehydrating effect. At social functions, ask for sparkling water instead of alcohol. For a warm drink, heat up 2 tablespoons of honey with water and grated ginger to soothe the throat and reduce inflammation.
3. Take vitamin C tablets and eat fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C to aid your body’s natural defenses. Emergen-C packets have 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C per packet, and can be prepared with water hot or cold.
4. REST! You should get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, and if you have incurred a sleep “debtâ€, take 20 minute naps and go to bed an extra 30 minutes early for a week.
5. Severe, violent coughing can injure the vocal folds. To suppress cough and thin mucus, take Robitussen DM with expectorant. Thayer’s Slippery Elm lozenges also soothe the throat and reduce inflammation.
6. Hot steam inhalation, with or without a few drops of eucalyptus, peppermint or oil of oregano helps to clear the sinuses. Many brands like Karvol, Olbas Oil and Vicks Vaporub use aromatherapy oils as their main ingredient but the menthol in these products can have a drying effect.
7. Neti Pots work wonders for sinus trouble. In a sanitized Neti Pot, pour in warm filtered water with pharmaceutical grade salt. The system irrigates the upper sinuses, cleaning our pollutants and allergens.
8. Gargle with apple cider vinegar to clean bacteria in the mouth and soothe the irritated tissue in the back of the throat.
9. If symptoms persist or get worse after 3 days, see an ENT. Your doctor can prescribe allergy medication, as well as antibiotics if your illness turns into an infection. Also, and ENT can verify if any damage has been done to the vocal chords from excessive coughing or mucus irritation.
10. Do NOT attempt to sing and avoid talking until all medication is finished in order to allow the vocal folds to reduce their swelling.
11. On recovery start with some gentle humming for 5-10 minutes at a time and slowly build up to a few vocal exercises in your mid-range gradually expanding the range over several days. The rate of recovery will depend on the severity of illness and how experienced a singer you are. At any recurrence of hoarseness, stop and rest the voice for a few more days.
About the Author
Nebraska native Sarah Luebke completed her MM in vocal performance at the University of Kentucky, and her BM in vocal performance at St. Olaf College. Recently she has been seen performing the female lead, Jane McDowell, in "The Stephen Foster Story" and the ensemble of "Big River" with Stephen Foster Productions. Other performances include the soprano soloist of Bach's St. John Passion, La Fee in Massenet's "Cendrillon" at the Intermezzo Opera Festival, Najade in "Ariadne auf Naxos" at the Brevard Music Festival, Monica in "The Medium", Rose Maybud in "Ruddigore", and Fiordiligi in "Cosi fan tutte". She currently resides with her husband in Florida, teaching a studio of 40 students and auditioning and performing locally.
by Evangel — Wed May 7, 2008 @ 4:38 am
by Sarah Luebke — Wed May 7, 2008 @ 6:45 am
by melissa black — Thu Nov 6, 2008 @ 1:10 pm
by Amy — Wed Oct 28, 2009 @ 8:14 am