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Looking after your voice

Frances Ascott

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Warning signs Frequent throat clearing - Don’t do it sip

water instead Pain/soreness in the throat - yawn to

release tension, don’t push Hoarseness/Croakiness/Creak - don’t run

out of breath Tickly cough - don’t be too loud & push 

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Warning signs 2 Voice loss - watch breath support and

neck tension Voice tired at the end of the day- watch

breath support etc Lump in throat - reflux, yawn to relieve

tension Loss of power/ability to shout - practise

humming and breath support apply to being loud situations

Dryness – sip water frequently

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Times to take care When you return to work/singing

after a holiday or illness When you are experiencing some

of the warning signs Sore throats with/without an

infection When you are tired When you are stressed

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Hydration Hydration. Drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water

every day, or 1 glass per hour when using the voice a lot.

Caffeine in Coffee, Tea and Coca-Cola dehydrate the body. So drink an extra glass of water for every caffeinated (or alcoholic) drink.

Pre-hydration and re-hydration http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving

Effects of poor hydration Dry sticky mucous Increased throat clearing Irritated vocal cords

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Steam inhalation

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Steam inhalation

Sinus Rinse Can make own

rinse with 1 teasponn salt in pint cooled boiled water.

Warm (cooler than body temp.) can be more comfortable

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Physiological 1 Reflux. This is acid, which comes up

from the stomach and spills into the larynx: It can be recognised in many ways, which include a funny taste in mouth or persistent cough. Called laryngo-pharyngeal reflux (LPR). Heartburn may be gastro-oesophageal reflux (GERD). Acid may be found in nose and even ears

www.LPRadvice.co.uk

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Within the past month, how did the following problems affect you? 0 = No problem 5 = Severe problem

Hoarseness or a problem with your voice Clearing your throat Excess throat mucus or feeling of postnasal drip Difficulty swallowing food, liquids, or tablets Coughing after eating or lying down Breathing difficulties or choking episodes Troublesome or annoying cough Sensations of something sticking in your throat or a lump in

your throat Heartburn, chest pain, indigestion, or stomach acid coming up

Reflux Symptom Index

Stomach acid Diet Coke Milk Water Battery Acid Pepsi Sunny Delight

Acidity quiz

Medication Proton pump inhibitor (before meals)

Omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, Losec

Raft forming (after meals) Gaviscon, Gaviscon Advance Less good Peptac

Hydrogen receptor inhibitor Ranitidine

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Physiological 2 Medication and allergies. Avoid

painkillers for a sore throat when working because you need to feel if you are forcing the voice. NSAIDS e.g. aspirin, ibuprofen, diclofenac should be avoided

Inhaled Cortico-steroids for asthma Cold remedies for drying up the nose will

also dry up the throat. Better than decongestants use expectorants. Other medication may cause dryness or increase catarrh. Be aware and drink more water if needed.

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Physiological 3 Hormones. We can’t avoid them but

they may affect the voice. Both pre-menstrually and at the menopause the vocal folds can become enlarged and are more prone to damage.

Changing fitness with age can impact on all the body and affect voice production. Be aware.

Longer warm-up short term strategy

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Emotion Voice and emotion. The voice is affected

by how you feel and how another treats you.

Take time to calm nerves- Shake out and take a few deep breaths.

Be aware of other emotions in your life affecting how you perform

Be aware of the affects of fatigue, stress, depression….

Fight and flight response Learn what helps