- Dealing with cold and flu as a singer
can be somewhat stressful.
Singers are their instrument,
and so when the body is sick, the instrument is sick also.
Now, fortunately, there are some tried and true things
that every singer can do to get the voice back up
and running after it's been hit by the common cold.
If you're suffering from the cold right now,
I hope you'll stick around to learn more.
- [Woman] Sound check.
Check one, check two.
(upbeat music)
- G'day there.
Dr. Dan here with another super helpful video
about caring for your voice.
Today I want to run you through a three-day
vocal recovery plan designed to get you back up
and singing in no time at all.
I've organized this plan into three days,
but it's important that I say right from the get-go
that you need to allow the condition of your voice
to dictate how long the recovery process should take.
I guess another way to think about it,
about this road to recovery is as being in three stages,
and always remember, the information I'm providing is
general in nature, and all specific decisions
about your health should be directed by your family doctor.
Now, with this being said and understood,
let's get started with day one
of the three-day vocal recovery plan.
Our first day of recovery should be labelled as Rest Day.
It's the one thing that many of us don't take the time
to do when we're sick.
We try to keep powering on when we should be powering down.
The severity of your vocal condition will determine
how much, or how little, voice use you will allow yourself.
For example, if you've woken with full-blown laryngitis,
then you'll need to observe complete silence
for the next day or two while your body fights the infection
and the swelling of the vocal folds reduces.
If, however, your voice can still make a sound,
albeit less than usual, then absolute voice rest
may not be necessary.
This being said, do your absolute best
to limit your vocal loads to only what is essential,
and remembering that both whispering and long talks
on the phone are definitely a no-no.
A good thing to do during day one is mix up a salt gargle.
Now, if possible, use a good quality rock salt,
about half a teaspoon should do, mixed into some water.
Maybe with some honey or some maple syrup.
The salt gargle will soothe your throat and assist your body
in fighting the virus causing you all the issues.
Gargle the solution three to five times
and then spit out after each gargle.
You should try and gargle twice during day one,
once in the morning and once more before you go to bed
at the end of your day.
In a small way, the salt gargle will contribute
to your general hydration levels which are vital
even when your well, but become super important
when your fighting infection.
So, get yourself a water bottle and keep it handy,
sipping between two to three liters
of water throughout the day.
Now, I know that some of you really struggle
to drink plain H2O, so you might like
to try supplementing your water intake
with four to six cups a day of Throat Coat tea.
Throat Coat has been shown to reduce the pain associated
with pharyngitis for up to thirty minutes after each cup.
If you haven't tried throat coat before,
you might like to order some from my website.
I'll leave a direct link in the description section below.
If day one is all about vocal rest,
then day two could be labeled,
More Vocal Rest with a Voice Check.
Essentially, day two repeats day one
with relative vocal rest, proper hydration,
salt gargle morning and night as well as
some Throat Coat tea for good measure.
Now, the difference comes in the afternoon
when you do a voice check.
The five to ten-minute voice check should come in the form
of light humming over a limited range.
Something like this.
(humming)
You might also like to try humming some five-note scales
into a bottle of water through a straw.
Again, something like this.
(humming and bubbling)
The back pressure caused by the straw and water
will help your vocal folds to oscillate therapeutically.
The critical thing to remember at this stage,
with any vocal activity, keep the tone light and clean.
If there is any pain at any point, stop.
Your voice is not yet ready to sing again.
But even if your voice feels right, don't overdo it.
Be patient and limit your voice check
to a maximum of ten minutes.
Once you've completed your short voice check,
try to follow-up with about thirty minutes
of absolute silence.
This will allow your vocal folds to settle
after the little outing you've just taken them on.
Now, before we talk through our third day
of vocal recovery let me also stress how important
a good nights' sleep is when returning to complete health.
Make sure you're getting between seven to eight hours
each night, and if possible, try to wake without an alarm.
This will mean your body has hopefully slept
for the length of time that it needs to fully recover.
And when you do wake on the morning of day three
of your vocal recovery you'll hopefully be ready
to do a voice check while you have a warm steamy shower.
You can do a salt gargle
either before or after your voice check,
or maybe even during, and you might like
to start the day with a cup of Throat Coat tea.
Hopefully, your body and more specifically, your voice,
are beginning to feel a lot better by day three,
but that doesn't mean you should take the breaks off
and hit full throttle.
Continue to be considerate to your voice,
remembering that you've been unwell
for the past couple of days.
It will probably be a few more days
before your voice is entirely out of the woods,
so proceed with caution and use your voice
carefully and sparingly.
Now, perhaps it goes without saying,
but if your voice is not recovering as you know it should
after three days, then I urge you to visit your family
doctor for a full check-up.
I've also added a playlist of other helpful videos
about looking after your voice when you're sick
in the description section below which I encourage you
to watch, just to make sure you're caring
for your voice correctly.
Hey, perhaps you've got some other handy hints
when it comes to voice recovery
during the common cold and flu.
Please take a moment to write your advice
in the comments section below so that we can all learn
from your experience.
And if you're currently unwell with a sore and tired voice,
then everyone here at the Voice Essentials community
wishes you a fast and speedy recovery.
I hope you're in full voice again soon.
I'm Dr Dan, sing well.