<p>Thanks to ya’ll’s encouragement, D tried the neti pot and her nose is now much, much better. Now to clear the gunk out of the throat. Thanks, folks - it really helps when I can tell her the “CC people recommend…”</p>
<p>Salt water gargles are great and are recommended generally to keep viruses and bacteria from proliferating. The neti accomplishes that too, so those two things together can help ward off colds and flu. She should not gargle too strenuously though. Gargling bangs the cords together - not something you want, especially if they are already inflamed. It is better to gargle softer and more often and drink warm liquids often. Clearing the throat repetitively is not good either and can become a bad habit in singers. </p>
<p>Mucinex might help clear away the gunk too.</p>
<p>DD also swears by Mucinex, Throat Coat, the squeeze bottle thingy and her personal steamer. When we travel anywhere she has the most interesting items in her luggage!</p>
<p>Be sure what you are dealing with is allergies. Singers are also prone to Silent Reflux Disease which can mimic allergy and cold congestion. DD never felt an upset stomach or acid, but it was doing damage to her vocal cords. The symptom was the sudden, unpredictable onset of severe congestion and laryngitus. Of coiurse she also had alleriges which are treated and she uses the NeilMed and personal steamer, too. She is also on Nexium for the acid reflux and to repair the damage. </p>
<p>If symptoms persist it is worth seeing a voice specialist ENT. It is a separate specialty. DD has one at school that she can call any time voice is going and he sees her right away.</p>
<p>For allergy coughs - Mucinex or Mucinex DM? Daughter has to sing Sunday AM. The DM is a cough suppresent version. Thanks.</p>
<p>I have always been told to use the plain Mucinex, but coughing was not an issue for D when she took it. The generic form (guaifenesin) is fine too and cheaper. Mucinex gets expensive if used regularly.</p>
<p>Thanks all- D got though her solo today wonderfully, thanks to all your tips. Another tip came from a ballet teacher who suggested running the air conditioning, which we did the last 24 hours. It was a little chilly but I understand that gets the allergy spores or whatever out of the air.</p>
<p>My D has tonsillitis for the 4th time since mid-June. Before this started, she rarely even got sick and had only had any kind of sore throat more than 3-4 times her entire life. (She is 17.) This is very frustrating to her now with college auditions coming in a matter of weeks. We are off to see her ENT tomorrow morning to find out some options. Has anyone on here had experience with a tonsillectomy and the side effects, healing time, etc.? It has been mentioned that she may need that if this persists, but the timing couldn’t be worse. I’m thinking even if it’s decided that would be best for her, it’s not a feasible option so close to college auditions, but we should just try to keep her as well as possible until it can be done at a later date. Her auditions start in mid-January and run throughout February. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>From what I understand a tonsillectomy can prevent singing for several weeks. Hopefully the ENT can help out and get her through audition season, then a tonsillectomy if needed.
The timing of this has to be very scary. Keep us posted and good luck!</p>
<p>Tonsillectomy:
My daughter had been having chronic infections, tonsillitis and strep, for several years. It had gotten to the point they were constantly and continually swollen. We should have had them removed sooner, but like all of these busy students, we could never find a good time between shows, debate season, auditions, etc… After a successful college audition season and acceptance, we made the decision to have them removed prior to attending college, we didn’t want her sick and away from home.</p>
<p>Healing process is: worst time of discomfort is 7-10 post surgery, but she was not cleared to sing for 3 -4 weeks after the surgery. She had them removed the beginning of July and was set to start at college in Sept. All went well and she is thrilled they are out. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>First make sure with the ENT that it is an infection causing this. Presuming that, go ahead and have the tonsillectomy before college. DD is having hers out this coming summer, after her Junior year in college and it is very disruptive. She was told it would be up to 6 weeks before she could sing. It limits the summer programs she can attend but there was not time in the school year to give that kind of rest. </p>
<p>However, in the meantime her ENT is a voice specialist and he has her come into the office as soon as she feels a scratchy throat. He treats her right away and has gotten her back in her singing voice in days. Make sure your ENT is a voice specialist, too. Then develop a close relationship with them this year.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for your responses. We saw her ENT this morning & he gave us lots of good advice and information. He wants to concentrate on keeping her well through auditions because as he and many of you have pointed out, she would be out of commission as far as singing for a while if her tonsils were removed. (He thinks that idea is premature and not feasible right now.) He pointed out that so many people are sick right now, and if her immune system is down (like most overbooked teens) she may just keep getting sick because of that. (She was just in Oliver with a cast of almost 100 kids & many of them were sick during the run of the show). He did offer many suggestions to help keep her as healthy as possible which I hope she does her best to follow.</p>
<p>We discussed her busy schedule and the possibility of getting her tonsils removed (if this persist and it becomes necessary) in the summer before college starts. As we all know, there is no convenient time for something like this. She already has plans for the summer shows she wants to audition for, so we’ll see how it all goes. We plan to go back to see him right before her first audition in January just as a follow-up and precaution (unless she gets sick again before that time-then we’ll see him sooner!) Wish us luck! Thanks again!</p>
<p>One of the things my DD decided before college auditions was that she was not going to take part in any shows until after she is finished auditioning. She was in 5 shows last year with major parts and she spent a lot of time being sick. This year she decided that she would focus on her voice, acting and dance lessons and not do shows especially in the winter when so many people are ill. She said that once the Christmas holidays are over she is becoming a hermit to keep healthy!</p>
<p>I totally agree with you showmom. My D is done with any major productions for now. She is in two choirs at school, so she will need to sing in their holiday show (one night) so that’s not too bad. She has a friend who is also planning auditions but she is filling her schedule to the brink all the way through her audition season, which I think is a really bad idea. Staying healthy has to be a number one priority! And preparing for auditions is a major undertaking, let alone having to worry about being in a show at the same time!</p>
<p>KABee - My DD is also in choir at school and will sing in a few perfomances over the holidays.
DD is just trying to stay healthy and focus on college auditions and school work which is more than a full schedule!</p>
<p>My son did the same thing as mommamt’s daughter. He had chronic problems but went through a successful audition season his senior year, even with the problems. He had his tonsils out about a month before starting his freshman year in college, and he is SOOOO glad he got it done before college. There will be temporary discomfort, but it is truly worth it in the long run.</p>
<p>It’s good to know that your son had such positive results after a tonsillectomy. And it’s encouraging to hear he made it through auditions. I’m not sure if my D will have to have the surgery, but it’s comforting to hear from those who went through the same problems and had a successful outcome. Thanks!</p>
<p>My DD was advised by her vocal coach to get her voice scoped out. What does that mean? Would she see an ENT for this? She is a musical theatre major and is singing and performing alot more these days than what she was previously used to. She is a belter and she clears her throat alot which I am sure her coach noticed. Any advice or information would be helpful. As a side note she seems to get heartburn alot.</p>
<p>Find an ENT that specializes in singers. He/she will decide if a scope of the vocal cords is necessary. Acid reflux can damage vocal cords and cause permanent damage if not controlled. Sometimes there is no feeling of heartburn. There can be a constant gunky feeling in the throat caused by the irritation of the acid. Clearing the throat is not good - it actually impacts the cords. She needs to figure out what is causing it so she can stop before damage is done, and in the interim, try sipping something or swallowing instead. </p>
<p>If something is going on that is affecting the health of her voice, she needs to do whatever is necessary to protect her voice. If that means saying no or not doing an audition, then she has to do that. Vocal cord damage is not something she wants to risk. If it is GERD, meds and diet can help. Diet is very important. Extra weight is a problem. Eating too close to bedtime or reclining after eating is a problem. Certain foods can cause problems. A good ENT should be able to give advice about all of this. </p>
<p>Good luck with this…</p>
<p>Agreeing with what Cartera says. My son just went to an ENT over Thanksgiving. He had been having some pain, was checked by staff at school to see if vocal technique was a problem, nope, everything there ok. I had noticed the throat clearing. Yep, has mild acid reflux. He says he is feeling better already! Apparently this is a common problem with singers. The doc did recommended raising the bed and not eating close to bedtime.</p>