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Have a big performance coming up? Looking to impress your friends in the car or at the club? Your singing can be the highlight of the night if you take the right steps, and it all stems from how you can keep your throat healthy.
Acid reflux, or more specifically GERD, happens when stomach acid flows back up through your throat and esophagus. This can cause symptoms including regurgitation, burping, and sore throat, all of which can affect your vocal performance. Certain foods can trigger acid reflux or make it more prominent. Before your performance, it’s suggested to avoid foods like:
It might be tempting to have a beer or mixed drink before your performance, but it can hamper your ability to sing worse than any nerves you’re trying to stifle. In addition to causing acid reflux, alcohol can dehydrate your throat, create extra mucus, and impair your voice if you choose a harsher spirit.
Dr. Darrell Klotz, a CEENTA otolaryngologist and voice specialist at our SouthPark office, recommends avoiding alcohol in favor of a hydrating beverage. “Keeping your throat hydrated with water allows the vocal folds in your throat to vibrate easier, allowing for a more harmonic experience for you and your audience.”
Vocal strain can occur if you overuse your voice, leaving your vocal folds and the surrounding muscles sore. While “practice makes perfect” is a wise adage, it’s important to give your voice proper rest throughout the day or week leading up to your performance. If you’re performing a full set, schedule a break for you and your audience so that you can relax and rehydrate.
Singing with a poor posture can make your vocal muscles work harder to sing. Even something as minute as moving your jaw forward can narrow the vocal tract and put additional stress on the larynx and vocal folds. Some tips for proper singing posture include:
Allergies can definitely affect your singing by causing a stuffy nose, itchy eyes, or nasal congestion. One method of treatment is to use antihistamines, which reduce the amount of inflammation in the nasal passages. While that can be an effective way to mitigate allergy symptoms, it also has the potential to dry up your vocal cords, creating a raspy voice. Prior to your performance, you can treat your allergies with an air purifier, nasal irrigation, or begin immunotherapy treatment.
Your audience deserves to hear the best singer possible, and what you do before showtime can make a huge difference. Your vocal care is also important, and experiencing hoarseness from overuse or other conditions can disrupt your performance. At CEENTA, our team of voice and swallowing specialists can examine your throat and provide the right treatment options for you based on your specific needs. Schedule your next appointment with Dr. Klotz at our SouthPark office today for throat care that’ll make you sing.
This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. New patients can make appointments online with our ENT doctors in North and South Carolina. Current patients can also make appointments through myCEENTAchart with physicians they have already seen.
Being a singer can mean a lot of late nights and early mornings of performances and practicing. But if you are not getting enough sleep, you could make yourself susceptible to voice injury or impede healing a vocal injury.
You’re doing everything right to keep your voice healthy. You don’t overuse it. You keep any acid reflux under control. You do exercises to keep it strong. Despite all that, you still have hoarseness. What’s causing the problem? As it turns out, it might be allergies.
Do you feel like you keep losing your voice? Learn more about the different types of spasmodic dysphonia and how you can treat them.
