<p>My D is losing her voice and is performing in Les Miz as Eponine tonight. I looked through some old threads on vocal health and will get her some boiled ginger root to try.</p>
<p>She had a slight cold a few days ago and had some cold medicine, but stopped taking that on Weds. She does not have a sore throat, voice is just going. I told her to keep drinking water and juice, use her steamer and not to talk at all right now.</p>
<p>Any other suggestions to help her get through this would be great. She is going to see her voice teacher this afternoon so he can try to help.</p>
<p>showmom, so sorry this has happened, though it's sadly not unusual at this time of year. Please do a search on this forum because I recall that last year at this time, Coach C (who is a voice specialist who works at the University of Pittsburgh Voice Center, and really knows her stuff in addition to being a heck of a nice person!) wrote at some length about this situation and what NOT to do. You want to make absolutely sure that your daughter does not damage her vocal folds/cords in this situation, which can happen. Does she have a steamer? If not, you may want to go out and get one:</p>
<p>NotMamaRose, thanks for your suggestions. She does have a steamer and is using that. I will look right now at what CoachC says not to do and make sure she doesn't do anything to damage her vocal cords.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your suggestions. It has been a tough weekend for her, but she just has a matinee this afternoon then she doesn’t have another show until next Thursday. She has found that using the steamer is helping as well as drinking a lot of water.</p>
<p>Singing wise she is doing her best, but she knows she is not at the top of her game. She sounds better in her head voice than her mix so that is what she has been doing this weekend. When she is offstage she runs to the dressing room to use the steamer before going on again.</p>
<p>She is disappointed that she does not sound her best, but she still sounds pretty darn good as everyone has been telling her!</p>
<p>Her vocal coach told her after today she really needs to rest her voice. Unfortunately she is in rehearsals for the school musical which she has a lead in, but she will tell them tomorrow that she can do everything this week except sing!</p>
<p>showmom, glad it is working out but wow, do make sure your daughter goes on vocal rest if that is what her teacher is suggesting. A high school musical (fun as it is) is not worth risking serious damage to your daughter’s vocal folds. That’s something you just don’t want to have your daughter have to mess with. </p>
<p>Is there any way you can take your daughter to see a specialist, such as Coach C recommended in her list about vocal care, to make sure she is OK and cleared to sing?</p>
<p>She said:</p>
<p>DO NOOOOT SING THROUGH SICKNESS!!</p>
<p>NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOO!!! This is the NUMBER ONE reason of acute vocal injury - aka vocal hemorrhage. And yes, I mean a “simple cold” - ANYTHING that causes voice changes. If you REALLY must (aka the only audition for your top school is coming up…), see a laryngologist so he can clear you - or not. No matter HOW big the audition or gig, risking vocal hemorrhage isn’t worth it - after one, you can scar, and vocal fold scar is virtually unfixable in any way - and will RADICALLY change your sound to something hoarse!!!</p>
<p>Me again: I am not a singer and never was (except chorus in middle school and in church) but developed vocal nodules due to too much phone use at a job I had years ago. Vocal nodules are not fun. They certainly changed my voice permanently.</p>
<p>You daughter should also try not to TALK this week, because the same vocal folds that are singing are talking. Tell her to take a notepad to school, not talk in rehearsals (they can have another student be on book while your D does her blocking), etc. That rest is really essential for her to heal. The more she uses her vocal folds while they’re still swollen, the greater risk she has of injuring herself. She wouldn’t walk on a really swollen ankle, so she shouldn’t use really swollen vocal folds. (This analogy may be helpful to help her high school directors understand her need for rest.) There is NO truth to “no pain, no gain” or “toughing through it” or even “working out the swelling” when it comes to vocal folds!! She should keep steaming and drinking water and REST!</p>
<p>showmom858, please do everything you can to have your daughter follow the important advice given in posts 7 and 8. Don’t allow her to be pressured by anyone - not her peers, her h.s. teachers or her h.s. director - to not follow total vocal rest. If necessary, get a Dr.'s note from a laryngologist to support the vocal rest, including not speaking in classes. Your D’s h.s. may not “get it” but your daughter’s long term vocal health must be given priority. On occasions when my daughter has gone on vocal rest, her laryngologist has scoped her and you would be amazed when you see the swelling and inflammation that are the more “benign” results of vocal strain.</p>
<p>I have a question. Of course, I’ve always heard about systemic hydration, steam and vocal rest, but if the vocal chords are truly swollen, wouldn’t anti-inflammatories help as well? The swollen ankle analogy brought this to mind.</p>
<p>Good question, Anne. Maybe our resident expert, Coach C, can advise. I do know that she tells kids not to use stuff like mentholated cough drops, etc. because they are drying, but your question about anti inflammatories (such as Motrin) is a good one.</p>
<p>Thanks so much everyone for your replies. D is doing just as CoachC has said and is on vocal rest, no talking. She has a Dr note (just from a regular Dr) saying that she is on vocal rest and will not be talking or singing for the week. </p>
<p>She has one of those Palm cell phones so she just uses the notepad on there to type in her words for others to read. That is how she has been talking to us all weekend!</p>
<p>She has told the director of the musical at school that her voice must rest and she will do any dancing or blocking but no talking or singing this week.</p>
<p>That’s a great, IMPORTANT question. You actually should NOT take an anti-inflammatory when your vocal folds are swollen, which means NO aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.) or naproxen sodium (Aleve). The reason is that all of these NSAIDS, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are anti-coagulants, meaning that they increase the risk of hemorrhage in the already-swollen vocal folds. (Vocal folds have a unique tissue makeup that doesn’t behave like ankles, knees, etc.) What you can take is Tylenol, which is NOT an anti-inflammatory but will help to reduce any pain and fever associated with illness. This is not an “opinion” - you do NOT want anticoagulants to reduce vocal fold swelling because the risk of a bleed increases with anticoagulant use. The only safe ways to reduce vocal folds swelling are with steroids, which have their own side effects (sometimes make people really amped up, like they are on speed), and REST. So…REST!!!</p>
<p>P.S. Great job, showmom and showmom’s D!! You are to be congratulated for doing the toughest thing for young OR professional singers - standing up for your own vocal health!!! :)</p>
<p>Thanks - I’m always here for vocal health needs! (I should have a CC pager, I think )</p>
<p>showmom - Make sure your D eases back into voice use as she gets closer to her shows this week (I think you said Thursday?) by gently humming in between steaming and VERY lightly vocalizing - nothing to “push” her range at all til she sees how she feels and sounds. She may want to do the vocalizing under the guidance of her vocal coach/voice teacher, because it’s really easy and instinctive to “hold back” in vocalizing after a vocal injury or illness, but holding back air is actually counterproductive for healthy voice production.</p>
<p>ah vocal rest. it’s so annoying, but good luck to your daughter. :-)</p>
<p>whenever i have gone on vocal rest, i found this program where you can type in what you want to say and it says it for you. it’s actually fun haha</p>
<p>Thanks so much, Coach C, for your excellent advice. Just to clarify further, should singers almost never take anti-inflammatories, opting instead for Tylenol, or is it only an issue where there is laryngitis?</p>
<p>It’s only an issue for most during laryngitis. However, some women (and young women) are more prone to vocal hemorrhage during their menstrual periods, so it’s a good idea to also avoid anti-inflammatories for cramps and stick with Tylenol. Unfortunately, Midol is also an NSAID and therefore should be avoided :(</p>
<p>I just wanted to let you know that my D had her closing performances this past weekend in Les Miz as Eponine and all was well again with he voice. We saw her again in her last performance and she was wonderful. </p>
<p>Even with the voice problems this was such a great show for her and I think she grew as an actress more than in any previous show she has ever done. I cried every time she sang "On My Own and when she “died” in “Little Fall of Rain!” I am so proud of her especially since she had originally auditioned for Cosette, but was offered Eponine instead which she knew was a much more challenging role for her and she worked hard and pulled it off. </p>
<p>My D has come a long way in the past year and I know that she will be ready for next winter when she finally auditions for colleges. Next audition for her is Rent this Friday. She is also rehearsing all this month for her hs musical “By Jupiter” which actually looks like it will be quite humerous.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone here at CC MT forum for all of your help and advice. D really learned a lot about taking care of herself when she is in a show with a longer run.</p>
- I’m always here for vocal health needs! (I should have a CC pager, I think