Do you have less air when you are feverish (no flu symptoms, no cough etc., just fever) as well? Do you play at all when you are ill?
Sonja
Sometimes I have to play when I’m under the weather; of course, I take an over-the-counter medication to allay the outward symptoms, but the air supply does seem lessened. My impression is that my lungs’ tidal volume isn’t really lessened, but I do have to work at breathing well a bit more as my automatic tendency, when ill, is to breathe more shallowly. But that’s me. Fortunately I don’t have to deal with asthma or other lung impairments.
A fever, by definition, raises your metabolism, and so, requires more oxygen.
This will leave you with less breath to waste (as far as your body’s concerned) on the flute.
Regards,
jb
My own experience: when in college I had to play no matter what health I was in at the time.
Since then, if I am really sick, though, I tend to not want to play.
However, if I can talk myself into playing flute, the ingrained breathing habits usually wind up making me feel better, at least temporarily.
I do try not to play wooden instruments when sick for fear of reinfecting myself later; polymer flutes are quite simply washed in warm soapy water.
Best wishes,
–James
As an aside, in studies done on wooden v. plastic cutting boards, bacteria like E. Coli, etc., seem to spread more easily and remain on the plastic boards even when washed in soap and water and – for reasons no one quite understood (or explained fully in lay articles) – these bacteria don’t seem to survive long on wood. That said, flus are viruses and, I suppose, a different kettle of bugs altogether.
I think James is right, though; if you are up to playing, the exercise will probably help open things up, but if you’re really ill, you won’t much feel like playing, and the stress of playing will probably wipe you out. Ordinary colds, though, are worth fighting; I say play through it.
Gordon