WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DAMAGE MY VOICE
MORE SERIOUS DAMAGE
What do you do if you’ve truly damaged your cords? First of all, you need to determine how serious your damage is. This can be done with a visit to your Ear, Nose and Throat doctor.
Some clues that you may need to see a doctor would be:
- constant hoarseness
- constant phlegm
- a gravelly sound in your speaking voice that doesn’t go away
- pain in your throat when you talk or even swallow that doesn’t go away.
Any of these symptoms can indicate something seriously wrong.
Nodes
One of the singer’s worst nightmares used to be the dreaded nodes or polyps. Although these are still scary and need immediate attention, they are no longer the threat they once were.
I am not a doctor, but my understanding is that a node is almost like a ‘callous’ that develops over a period of time when the cords have been ‘banged’ together too harshly over an extended period of time.
Many popular singers have been treated for nodes and recovered nicely. However, usually there needs to be some re-training before the singer is allowed to sing again. Misuse and perhaps a simple lack of vocal knowledge and care many times are the contributing factors.
Not all polyps or nodes require surgery. If they are small enough, they can sometimes be treated with a more conservative approach. One of the most important things you can do is get proper vocal training, perhaps even speech therapy to see if that is where your true problem lies.
What You DON'T Want to Hear
TOTAL VOCAL REST is necessary. This means no talking, whispering, singing, coughing, sneezing, throat clearing, ANYTHING that makes a noise from your throat! But do not try to self-treat if you have the above mentioned symptoms. Go to a doctor ASAP!
As always, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Your voice is a gift from God and needs to be cared for properly. Take the necessary steps to care for your voice in a way that will make it possible to use your voice for God’s glory for as long as possible!
Posts
No comments