Vocal Health

Instrumentalists can replace their instrument when damaged.

We only get one instrument so we must take care of it.

Your Vocal Folds Men and women have different sized vocal folds. In men, they are usually the size of a nickel, while in women, they are usually the size of a dime. Your vocal folds are located in the larynx, which is also known as your “adams apple”. Your larynx moves up and down as you sing.

The Voice Your vocal folds are muscles Men’s voices vibrate 100x/second Women’s voices vibrate 200x/second Singing voices can vibrate anywhere from 50x/second to 10,000x/second The folds would only make a buzzing sound if your head wasn’t attached on top of them

Hydration Your vocal folds need moisture to vibrate just like a car needs oil to run Wet mucous should be clear thin and watery Thick yellow mucous is a sign of trouble Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day

If your voice is worse at the end of the day You could have a technique problem

Technique Problems Yelling – This can really damage your chords.

Poor Speaking Technique You must balance the air from your diaphragm and the usage of the vocal fold muscle Use air to power the voice, not muscle, you will wear out your voice if you use all muscle

Clearing the throat too much You can get a Granuloma from constantly clearing your throat Nodules or cysts can be caused from hitting the chords together too hard too often in the same way

If your voice is worse at the beginning of the day You could have a medical problem

Smoking Tumors are white patches all over the vocal folds usually caused from smoking You will not sing again if you get a tumor

Acid Reflux This is brought on by soda, acidic foods, caffeine, chocolate, tomato, spicy foods and sleeping right after you eat Can irritate the chords and strip them of the healthy mucous they need to vibrate properly

Bleeds Chords can swell up with blood when you are sick and if you hurt or abuse the folds they can bruise and bleed If you continuously burst the blood vessels when you are sick they can scar Scar tissue never really goes away http://www.entusa.com/larynx_photo.htm

Should I sing if I am Sick? If your speaking voice is clear then it is fine to sing However you might not want to sing in the extremes (highest, lowest, loudest, softest) If you are hoarse you should not sing or talk

What can happen if I sing sick You risk injury because the blood vessels are swollen It can lead to vocal fold hemorrhages or scarring It can also lead to nodules, polyps or cysts

What to do if you are sick Increase rest and hydration Use mucous thinning medicine (Mucinex) Avoid Antihistamines Be careful with decongestants Do a nasal saline rinse (neti pot) Limit vocal use: Talking, yelling, phone use Don’t sing if you are hoarse

Types of Injury Vocal Nodes: spots similar to callouses on the membrane of the vocal folds. Vocal Polyp: a blister that has formed on the vocal folds. Vocal Hemorrhage: A burst blood vessel on the vocal folds. Vocal Edema: swelling of the vocal folds caused by fluid, most often occurring in smokers. Vocal Fatigue: caused by overuse of the vocal chords.

What if I have injured myself Ear Nose Throat (ENT’s) Doctors can use a stroboscope to view your throat and folds Complete vocal rest may be prescribed, steroids or surgery may be necessary 412-232-SING UPMC Voice Center Voiceproblem.org Voicehelp.org Entnet.org

What else can I do to take care of myself Use good technique to sing and talk Don’t yell Get lots of rest Eat a balanced diet Drink lots of non caffeine beverages (8 glasses of water a day) The voice is very resilient don’t stress about a small illness but do take care of it

It’s the only instrument we have!