<p>i went to the doctor a couple of days ago for a physical and she told me that i have large tonsils. i do get sore throats a lot but not strep. she told me usually tonsils are only taken out if you have chronic strep. i was thinking about it though and i do get sore throats pretty frequently, and i feel like my voice feels and sounds really great one day then a couple days later not so much (a difference probably not really noticeable to anyone but me but i can feel it and hear it) in a sort of cycle.
i'm sort of wondering if i should have my tonsils removed and i was wondering if anyone has any experience with tonsils and singing. like how long is recovery and did you sound different after your tonsils were removed? is this a good thing for singers to have done? i would imagine it would be because you wouldn't get sick as often. i know you guys aren't doctors and i'd definitely need to speak
with an ent but i thought some of you might have experiences you could share</p>
<p>I also would like to know people’s opinion on this subject. I get sick very often due to my tonsils- but I would have to take some time off from shows in order to have enough time to recover, etc. But I want to be healthy for college auditions!! And I have a huge fear of surgery, so that doesn’t help at all. :(</p>
<p>Here is a link to an previous thread on this same subject:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/364635-tonsils-singing.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/364635-tonsils-singing.html</a></p>
<p>One of my daughters had an "adult’ tonsillectomy at 20, and it was somewhat traumatic, although now she is glad she did it (she is not a professional singer.) I would strongly advise you to consult with an ENT who specializes in singers before you do this surgery. My daughter is a glassblower (and plays a wind instrument.) She could could not use her throat at full force for a few months after her surgery, so there is that to consider. But as a singer, you have a lot at risk, so do talk to a specialized ENT. </p>
<p>(As for her health, it is greatly improved since recovering from the surgery: no more tonsillitis, of course, and fewer instances of the strep and sinus infection that had plagued her since early childhood.)</p>
<p>I had to have my tonsils removed in high school (long ago) and wound up in critical condition in intensive care for over a week due to complications. At least at that time, an adult tonsillectomy was fairly serious surgery, so don’t do it unless it is medically necessary.</p>
<p>Feel free to PM me with your locations as I either know of ENTs who specialize in singers or have friends who do- not much knowledge about the west coast though.
If tonsils need to be removed because they are severely enlarged, you might be pleasantly surprised at the improvement in your voice once they are gone! Having the operation done in May or June leaves plenty of time to be prepared for the next school year.</p>
<p>sounds like the same scenario my son had the summer before he left for college. I second the suggestion to consult with an ENT who specializes with singers. That was immensely helpful in the final decision to remove the tonsils. </p>
<p>FYI…that did not totally solve his problem. It simply eliminated one possible cause of his frequent “colds”. Turns out he has pretty bad allergies (not a giant allergy to one thing, but a mild allergy to many things) and has been taking allergy shots to combat that problem for a couple of years.</p>
<p>Also, after a year in college voice lessons, his instructor suggested he be “scoped” because his voice was not progressing in range as quickly as it should have based on the work he was doing. Turns out he has acid reflux in his vocal chord area…which is different than the gastric kind in that it is “silent” with no accompanying burning sensation. A daily acid reducer has helped immensly.</p>
<p>Again, an ENT trained for vocalists is your best starting place. There may be more than one cause of your symtoms.</p>
<p>Sometimes it is not necessarily the tonsils so check all possibilities before getting a surgery. I was sick for four months last year and I had two sinus surgeries neither of which involved my throat, but I don’t get sick anymore except the cough I got at unifieds (that wasn’t fun), but if it’s needed I would definitely do it- it’s relieved the stress of this year that I’d be sick for my senior musical and for auditions.</p>
<p>I had problems with my tonsils for about 10 years before I finally had them removed when I was 16. My pedriciation thought I should have them out when I was 8 but the ent I visited said taking them out could have a negative impact on my voice. However the large tonsils eventually caused me to have constant sore throats (since I was having trouble breathing at night and snoring loudly) and impacted my singing so much so that I had to go on vocal rest for 6 months during my sophmore year of high school. At that point I had no choice but to have them removed. Luckily I was referred to an ent that had extensive experience with professionals singers and all went very well. I was singing again a few months after the surgery and some brief therapy.</p>