Colds aren't all you need to worry about when protecting your voice. Photo by Allan Foster.

The winter months can wreak havoc on your voice, here’s how you can fight back.

Vocal health is one of those topics we performers know we should pay attention to, but may not always practice. As we go along in our busy daily lives, we may not think about taking care of the voice until a symptom rears its ugly head that has us running for the nearest fix-me-now med or gloopy cough syrup. However, medications that offer immediate relief may do damage themselves or at least mask other symptoms that signify other issues that need to be addressed. So, in honor of both cold and audition season (and how we love how they coincide…) here’s a refresher on how to ensure your voice stays in top shape.
Physiology and Voice
Audible clues for potential vocal problems include breathiness, hoarseness, dryness, pitch problems, running out of breath, an inability to sing softly and breaks in the voice where they should not be. Problems occur when something goes wrong in any of the three vocal subsystems.

The three vocal subsystems are: the air pressure system, which provides and regulates air pressure; the vibratory system, which changes air pressure to sound waves; and the resonating system, which changes the quality of the sound waves into a desirable sound. If anything happens in one of these systems, it will affect the health of the whole voice.

Phonation, a term for sound production, occurs when air from the lungs passes across the vocal folds which have adducted to a certain pitch. The vocal folds come together to make pitch as well as to regulate the airflow. Without adequate airflow, a situation that results from improper or reduced breath support, the vocal folds and other muscles and ligaments involved in phonation can become strained. Some signs of improper breath support include a breathy quality to the speaking or singing voice, an overly fast or very slow vibrato, running out of air while singing a note or passage and difficulty singing some pitches that are in your normal range.

Erroneously called “diaphragmatic breathing,” true breath support comes from belly breathing, consciously moving the lower abdominal muscles out for inhalation and pulling them in during exhalation, as well as a deliberate moving of the intercostal muscles surrounding the ribs. The thoracic diaphragm, a lateral layer of muscles that act as the divider between the upper respiratory system and the digestive system, moves automatically when the abs move.

Chemically Speaking
Everyone knows that smoking (anything) is bad for your throat and breathing (which means it’s bad for singing), and most singers know that caffeine and alcohol will dehydrate you. (What’s that, you didn’t know that? Check out www.stage-directions.com/singingandtobacco for more info.) But there are still more chemical threats out there for singers.

Hormones, including natural, pharmacological and illegal, greatly affect the voice. Natural hormonal changes such as puberty in male and females, the monthly menstrual cycle for females, pregnancy and menopause can alter the pitch, range, power and other dynamic and preferred qualities of the singing and speaking voice. Hormone-based steroids and steroidal medications can produce undesirable results in the voice because of how hormones can affect mood as well as the muscular tissue of the vocal folds and other muscles involved in voice production. Some examples of non-natural hormones would be birth control, anabolic steroids and hormone treatments for menopausal symptoms.

Because the soybean has invaded our food supply, several points are worth considering, especially if you are a vegetarian. Unfermented soy products carry large amounts of phytoestrogens that are not good for the body or the voice. Unfermented soy products have been linked to thyroid issues, kidney stones, lowering of the immune system and an increase in food allergies. Unfermented soy products include soy milk, tofu and products made with soy milk, including soy baby formula. Some singers eat grass-fed meat to avoid livestock that was raised on soybeans. Soybeans are also high in phytates, which are known to prevent the body from absorbing much-needed minerals in the digestive tract. When eating soy, choose fermented soy products such as miso, tempeh, natto, pickled tofu and soy sauce.

But Wait, There’s More
Most people are familiar with acid reflux and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), when stomach acid travels up from the stomach to the esophagus—but singers, actors and other vocalists should be aware of stomach acid that makes its way to the voice.

According to Dr. Jamie Koufman of the Voice Institute of New York, “Acid reflux is an epidemic in this country.” A laryngologist who treats performers, Dr. Koufman specializes in Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR), which occurs when stomach acid travels up the esophagus and spills into the larynx.

“Chronic hoarseness, throat clearing and cough, as well as a feeling of a lump in the throat or difficulty swallowing may be signs that you have LPR,” says Dr. Koufman. “Some people have intermittent hoarseness and others have problems with too much nose and throat drainage, that is, too much mucus or phlegm. That causes chronic throat clearing. If you have any of these symptoms, and especially if you smoke, you should ask your doctor about LPR.”

Breath and Throat Problems
But even if you don’t smoke, practice good breath technique and lead a chemically pure life, inevitably you’ll get ill. What should you do to help your voice then?

Over the counter and prescription meds can affect the voice by introducing chemicals into the bloodstream, which ultimately affect the tissues of the voice and its subsystems, from the nasal cavity to the lungs and elsewhere. Any medication or substance with affects your mental state, impairs cognitive function, or changes your mood may also adversely affect your ability sing or perform.

Antihistamines are known to dry out a singer’s sinuses and can often cause dry mouth and a sensation of dryness in the throat. Aspirin and ibuprofen should also be avoided because of their thinning effect on the blood, which can lead to hemorrhages in the vocal folds. Try naproxen or acetaminophen if no allergy to the products exists.

In her book, Everyday Voice Care, Joanna Cazden, voice therapist of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, recommends hydration and rest as the top go-to treatments, accompanied by other remedies that are readily available, such as tea containing slippery elm bark, a good steam humidifier for inhaling warm moist air and a daily salt gargle. (Staying hydrated while traveling is especially important. Performers in dry climates often complain of “Vegas throat,” or a persistent vocal dryness.)

Cough drops and cough syrups are generally not recommended for the voice or sinuses. Many cough drops contain menthol, which is a known irritant for the tissues of the mouth, nasal cavity and throat. Cough syrups usually have an anesthetic to numb throat pain, but that means it is numbing symptoms you made need to pay attention to or tell the doctor about. Throat Coat Tea as well as Throat Coat Pastilles (throat lozenges) are now readily available in many chain grocery stores, but you can buy them online as well. For quick relief (until your Throat Coat arrives), use Ricola’s natural Original Herb drop.

As a general rule, stay away from sugary-foods, soft drinks and acidic drinks and foods, plus extremely salty or crunchy foods as they may irritate the interior of the mouth causing a coughing or throat clearing jag.

A sudden loss of the voice is a sign to get thee to a doctor immediately. As with any condition that lasts more than a few days, consult a medical professional.