When I was in college studying Musical Theatre my vocal health routine consisted of drinking water before a voice lesson, audition, or performance and...well, that's about it. I knew of students who took their vocal health more seriously, Vocal Performance majors who lived in the spotlight on the opera stage, but on the fringe of social society. They didn't drink, the glory that was the corner party store where you could buy 3 bottles of neon colored Boone's Farm for $9, was completely lost on them. They didn't sing wildly out of range, and quite often out of tune, karaoke on Wednesday nights and return home to eat greasy Papa John's pizza right before going to bed. What was wrong with them?
I have since reformed..now I drink wine the color of actual grapes...and I've learned a thing or two about vocal health. The first thing is that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him stay hydrated. More appropriately you can tell a voice user how to care for their voice, but it doesn't mean they're going to do it. Do I expect my college students to sit quietly at home and miss out on the wonders of $3 bottles of Wild Blue Hurricane Explosion? No. But I'd hope, for their sake and the sake of the person who shares their bathroom, that they'd add a chaser of good old H2O. Do I expect the occupational voice users I see to not have a cup of coffee or 2 in the morning? No, and if I did my Starbucks gold card status and in studio Keurig would certainly raise some eyebrows. But I'd hope that they'd drink a glass of water for each cup of Joe, and cut it down to 1 or 2 cups a day. In case you haven't noticed, water is key..duh..but there are some less obvious vocal health issues to be aware of.
The number one cause of vocal problems is Phonotrauma: a Repetitive Stress Injury. Too loud for too long, and incorrect technique. The vocal folds can take a lot of stress, a statement proven by Steven Tyler's fabulous and long career, but like any muscle if over used, or misused, there will eventually be problems. Now you might think, "I'm a teacher/server/attorney/student..I'm not belting out 'Dream On' (ok sometimes in the shower)..I don't shoot heroine (ok only after a really hard day..kidding) so what's the problem?" Ever bar tend or wait tables in a noisy restaurant? Grow up in a noisy family where you had to yell to be heard? Give a lecture or presentation without a microphone? These are the kinds of everyday occurrences that can add up to vocal issues over time.
The vocal folds are muscles, incredible muscles, muscles the size of your thumb nail. The actual muscle is covered by a jello-like layer with a layer of mucous on top of that. When air passes through them they vibrate, the beginning of the sounds we make, and the louder and more aggressive the sound, the harder the vibration. Over time, with continuous misuse, they will want to protect themselves swelling and thickening the jello-like layer, forming blisters, and eventually callouses, vocal nodules or nodes. And if you've seen Pitch Perfect (don't deny it) you know the gravity of this situation.
The second most common vocal health issue: acid reflux. Now I'm not talking about heartburn, the Cleveland Clinic says that 50% of the people with laryngeal/pharyngeal reflux (LPR) don't experience heartburn. So what am I talking about? Wake up hoarse? Need to clear your throat a lot? Chronic cough? Difficulty swallowing? Could be LPR. So what do you do? Well there's good news and bad news. The good news is, our friends at the Cleveland Clinic say that most cases of LPR can be managed without medical intervention. The bad news is you're going to be saying good bye to your reason for living. Do Not..and I quote..
- Eat Acidic, Spicy, and Fatty Foods: Goodbye French Fries. Adios Jalapeno Poppers. Ciao Marinara.
- Drink Alcohol: Whhhhyyyyyy
- Smoke Tobacco: Duh. And regardless of LPR, just don't, black lungs are so unattractive.
- Drink Caffeine-Containing Beverages: Venti hot water w. a side of Advil please
- Eat Chocolate: I'm not even going to comment.
- Wear Tight or Binding Clothing: Well..without the fried food, beer, and chocolate maybe I won't need the Spanx..silver lining
- Become Overly Stressed - Learn Tools to Help Reduce and Manage Stress: But wine and chocolate were my tools....
See, I wasn't kidding. Joy. Sucking. So what can you do? Well, unless you're ready to go whole hog and become a plain rice eating..herbal tea drinking..I meditate twice a day and said goodbye to the too tight spandex top that makes my boobs/pecs look awesome and guarantees a free drink (oh wait I don't drink anymore) picture of LPR health, here are a few ideas:
Hydration:
- 1/2 your body weight in oz. per day
- "Wet Foods" (soup, smoothies, etc..) count
- Moderate your Caffeine/Alcohol and Compensate with Water
Humidity:
- Use a Saline Rinse or Spray - I HIGHLY recommend NeilMed's sinus rinse, there's a handy squirt bottle which doesn't require the acrobatics of a Neti Pot and works just as well
- Use a Humidifier at Night and Clean it Regularly - A friend of mine swears by the AeroSwiss brand, it turns her bedroom into a rain forest, aim for 30% humidity
- Take "Steam Breaks" during the day: long, hot showers, inhale the steam while cooking your sauceless pasta, or just microwave some water and inhale the steam
- Breathe Through Your Nose - Natures Humidifier
HHHH (as in the sound you make when you take a relaxed breath):
- Breathe deeply and properly
- Stretch for relaxation
- Warm Up AND Cool Down - when you're singing AND speaking. Don't expect your voice to perform at a top level without giving it a chance to warm up. Do you think Usain Bolt sprints without stretching first? I think not. *Stay Tuned for a blog onWarm Up/Cool Down Exercises for singers and speakers*
And finally, be an advocate for your own vocal health. Avoid noisy environments when you can, and if you find yourself in one, keep in mind how loud you are speaking. If it's dry, particularly on an airplane or in a hotel room, put a damp cloth over your face or over the heating/AC unit. If you're sick increase hydration, and get enough sleep.
Of course I am neither a Speech Language Pathologist nor a Laryngologist but all this information was taken from both of those sources. I didn't make it up and I'm not claiming it as my own, except for the part about the Boone's Farm, that was me. If you're experiencing vocal problems please contact an SLP or ENT and if you can't find one shoot me a message at doylevocalstudio@gmail.com and I'll put you in touch.
"All I have is a voice." - W.H. Auden
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