Singing Vocal Health

To sing at your best, it’s important to look after your vocal health. Many things can affect the quality of your singing voice. What’s important is that you recognize problems and keep them at bay before a big performance. Here are some common everyday factors to bear in mind:

How alcohol affects your vocal health

Alcohol causes the blood vessels in your body to dilate and that is not good for your vocal cords when you will be singing. When the blood vessels dilate, the blood thins and comes to the surface, which makes you more susceptible to a hemorrhage on your vocal cords. Limit your intake of alcohol to those days that you don’t have to practice or perform and drink plenty of water on those days that you choose to drink, because alcohol dehydrates you.

Cigarette smoke affects your voice

Smoke causes your throat to get irritated and this leads to inflammation that makes it difficult for you to sing your best. Don’t smoke and avoid secondhand smoke as best you can. You should at least avoid smoke for several days prior to a singing lesson or performance.

Throat clearing

If you are a habitual throat clearer, now is the time to break the habit and find the root of the problem. Excessive throat clearing can be caused by mucus buildup from postnasal drip or acid reflux. See if you can get in the habit of swallowing instead of clearing your throat and go see your doctor to determine the reason behind the mucus build up. A lot of times, throat clearing is just an established habit that results from trying to keep the vocal cords clear for singing. Singing with a little mucus on your vocal cords shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

The effect food has on your vocal health

You’ll discover that certain foods cause vocal irritation. Dairy foods in particular are noted for causing mucus to buildup and that makes you clear your throat more often. Some people claim that spicy foods don’t enhance their singing. Since everyone is different, you will have to listen to your own body and discover the foods you should avoid for a few days before you are scheduled to sing.

Pollen, allergens and your voice

Being allergic to dust or pollen can cause your vocal folds and throat to become irritated and swollen. Ask your doctor for suggestions to help with allergy problems. There are a few things you can do at home to limit your exposure to allergens. Clean your house on a regular basis to prevent dust from collecting and bothering you and choose non-allergenic materials for your bed linen. Be sure to listen to your local weather reports for current pollen counts. Most areas have higher pollen counts in the early morning or early evening. Restrict your outdoor activities to the middle of the day when you are less likely to run into problems with pollen.

Medications and your vocal health

Many of the medications that you take to treat a runny nose or watery eyes will dry out your throat too. If you can’t avoid taking the medications, be sure to drink a lot of water so your throat won’t get dry when you sing. If possible, you may want to forego the medicine on the days when you have to sing.

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