- If you've been singing for any length of time,
then you've probably been confronted by
the difficult question: To sing or not to sing.
Knowing whether one should sing when sick
is a challenging question to answer,
especially if you're being paid to perform.
So, today, I'm going to give you a bit more information
about what's happening to your vocal folds
during times of sickness
so that you can make an educated decision about the risks
associated when singing with swollen vocal folds.
(electric guitar tuning)
- [Woman] Soundcheck.
Check one, check two.
(calming music) (crowd cheering)
- G'day there, welcome back to Voice Essentials,
where everybody sings.
My name is Dr. Dan, and I'm a Singing Voice Specialist,
so I'm often working with singers whose voices
have fallen into disrepair due to illness or misuse.
There certainly are a range of vocal health concerns
that we as human beings have no control over.
Organic pathologies like laryngeal cancer
or vocal fold paralysis can happen randomly,
and for no apparent reason.
Another organic pathology that nearly every vocational
and non-vocational singer has had to contend with
is the common cold.
Viral infections come in all shapes and sizes,
and so, too, do their impact
on the working condition of the voice.
(coughing)
When thinking about the vocal tract
in relationship to infections and inflammation,
we generally divide the airway into two divisions:
the upper airway and the lower airway.
Leda Scearce writes,
"For the performing vocalist,
"infections of either division of the airway
"can result in significant problems
"with voice and sound quality."
So, let's first talk about the upper airway.
I think most singers are familiar
with the effect of the common cold upon the voice.
Runny or blocked nose, pain when swallowing,
swollen tonsils and deeper voice quality
are just some of the symptoms.
Generally speaking, the common cold, caused by rhinoviruses,
results in upper respiratory infection, also known as URI.
URIs can then be further broken down
into four sub-divisions of location:
Sinuses, Nasopharynx, Pharynx and Larynx.
As a general rule of thumb,
the closer the infection gets to the larynx,
the more cautious we need to be.
Sataloff, Hawkshaw and Sataloff suggest that
"If the laryngeal examination showed no abnormality,
"a singer or professional speaker with a head cold
"should be permitted to use his or her voice
"and be advised not to try to duplicate
"his or her usual sound.
"but rather accept the insurmountable alterations
"in self-perception caused by the change
"in the supraglottic vocal tract and auditory system."
From personal experience,
both in teaching thousands of singers
and from my own performances,
learning to not duplicate the usual sound
is rather challenging,
and for some, the temptation to strive for sounds
resembling their usual healthy selves
can prove too much to avoid.
The other thing we need to be mindful of
when it comes to sinus infections
and how they affect the voice is that of post-nasal drip,
which might cause a constant need
to (coughs) clear the throat of excess mucus.
Unfettered clearing of one's throat
can aggravate the vocal folds causing swelling,
so while the larynx itself may not be sick per se,
the sinus infection can leave the voice
feeling battered and bruised.
So, long story short, if you have a head cold,
that is a URI that is only affecting
your sinuses or your nasopharynx,
that is the entrance to your nasal cavity
at the back of the throat,
and if your voice shows no signs of change,
like sounding lower, then proceed with caution.
If, however, the URI is felt lower down the vocal tract
in the pharynx or larynx, we have reason to pause
and question the absolute necessity to sing.
Christina Shewell notes that
"If we have laryngitis or a heavy cold and cough,
"our vocal folds may be inflamed and swollen.
"This extra fluid gives a kind of padded protection
"to the layers below, and plays a role
"in trying to heal the inflammation."
You see, fortunately,
our bodies have some biological mechanisms that are designed
to mitigate, alleviate and repair cellular damage.
And when we succumb to the Rhinovirus,
in this case at the location of the larynx,
the mucosal cells become damaged
and require our body's protective responses.
Now, Leda Scearce again explains, "This inflammation results
"in leakiness of the small capillaries in the mucosa
"and swelling or edema ensues.
"When this occurs in the larynx
"and involves the vocal folds,
"the vocal folds develop increased mass and altered tension,
"leading to hoarseness and vocal instability,
"which are often experienced during illness."
I would submit, that if you have any sense
that your vocal folds are swollen, for any reason,
whether it be due to illness or heavy use,
vocal rest is your best option.
It may not be an easy option to take,
but I reckon that the risks of singing with vocal folds
that have been compromised by infection
are far too significant for non-vocational
and vocational singers alike.
Having looked at URIs,
let's now briefly discuss the challenge presented by
infections in the lower airway,
also known as lower respiratory tract infections.
Sataloff, Hawkshaw and Sataloff write,
"Lower respiratory tract infection
"may be almost as disruptive to a voice
"as upper respiratory tract infection.
"Bronchitis, pneumonitis, pneumonia,
"and especially reactive airway disease
"impair the power source of the voice
"and lead to vocal strain and sometimes injury."
I know you'll be picking up on a theme here.
Vocal tract infections,
whether they be above the vocal folds or below,
generally lead to compensatory behaviors.
This means that while the vocal tract is compromised,
the voice user may feel like they need to exert more effort.
Now, this can lead to
inappropriate levels of breath pressure
which might only serve to exacerbate
the vocal fold swelling.
This is a merry-go-round you don't want to be on
because it can lead to significant wear and tear,
and in some cases, severe damage
including vocal fold hemorrhage.
So, what do we do if we have a vocal tract infection
and our vocal folds are swollen?
Good question.
Click this video,
and I'll walk you through a three-day recovery plan
that is proven to get you back up and singing sooner.
I'm Dr. Dan, sing well.