I lost my voice. I need to find it by tonight.
I believe all of those choir practices have caught up with me.
I am singing a few solos and I woke up with a major sore throat and drainage.
Any tips from you professional singers out there on how you rise above illness and sing on?
Laura
Hmm. Steam yourself today. If nothing else, simmer a pot of water (that’s boiled so it steams) and put your face over it. The moisture might help some.
And do NOT speak until you have to sing! When you do have to sing, warm up like everything, start in the middle of your range and go up and down very gradually. You may not be able to sing tonight, but you can give it the best chance.
My grandmother (who sang professionally) would sometimes use SenSen candy (little REALLY strong mint things) to help calm the larynx. I don’t know if it works.
Something which works but you SHOULD NOT DO is a steroid inhaler. I mention it only to prevent you from doing it should it be suggested, actually. Some professional singers have gotten steroid inhalers (like for asthma) and puff away on them when this kind of thng happens. Swelling goes down and the vocal cords work better. But there’s a reason they’re swollen, and you can irreparably damage your voice doing this. It’s NOT worth that!
Stuart
Medically- Slightly warm, slightly saline gargles. That will help sooth the tissues without drawing more moisture from them.
Personally- Hot tea with honey and lemon, and lemon water.
Also, anything that helps to keep your throat moist without numbing it…Ludens Cough drops, a lot of people like Ricola cough drops.
If it’s any consolation, throats are usually sorest in the morning and kind of “recover” during the day. Just avoid stressing it (No chunky/spicy foods, no yelling at the kids/hubby/significant other, etc) and keep warm and fluided!
Aodhan
Thank you folks,
You have been quite helpful!
I shouldn’t have to yell at the kids being Christmas eve and all 
At least I hope.
Hmmm… I wonder if hubby will get worried by me giving him the silent treatment today.
I can just see his thought… (hmmmm… did I get her the right thing for Christmas?)
Nah, I would never play that game. 
The beauty of internet. You do not have to speak…
I will try to do a few of your suggestions except for the inhaler.
A hot cup of tea is sounding mighty fine right now.
Cheers,
Laura
for correction of spelling of inhaler, hail, haul… need dictionary..
[ This Message was edited by: hillfolk22 on 2002-12-24 09:33 ]
Actually, Aodhan, saline gargles do the opposite . . . they draw fluid out of your tissues, and can kind of reduce the swelling that way. Your body is more or less “normal” saline (0.9%, which means 9mg NaCl for each ml of water). Salt gargles are usually saltier than that. Normal saline is about the same salinity as seawater, and tastes about as salty.
So do the saltwater gargle, but it’s not keeping stuff more humidified.
Stuart
“Fisherman’s Friend” lozenges.
Best nasty-tasting stuff in the world!
Cheers,
serpent
My sister is a professional singer, and when she HAS to sing with a cold or congested nose, she doses with antihistimine and does a nasal spray. We’re not talking gentle and mild, here, we’re talking Better Living Through Pharmaceuticals.
Laura, warm water with honey and a humidifier usually do the trick for me… sometimes I will add a wee bit of lemon, but you might want to go easy on it as the acidic nature of the juice can sometimes be more of an irritant. Don’t talk at all unless you have to! You should see some of the faces and body language I’ve had to use to reprimand the kids when my voice has been gone… 
All the best to you on your performance!!
Andrea ~*~
I heard that warm things - like hot tea, salsa, etc. can make a sore throat worse and cold things reduce the swelling. So, I’d suggest Popsicles, or something like them.
I’m really sorry you have a sore throat and I hope it gets better soon!
Did anyone mention gulping a couple raw eggs just before singing ? I’m no singer, but I’ve seen quite a few do it routinely, backstage.
ewwwwwwwwww!!! 
I wonder what that’s supposed to do-- haven’t heard that one before!! 
Andrea ~*~
[ This Message was edited by: aderyn on 2002-12-24 11:02 ]
I agree with all that has been said…warm drinks, steam, salt-water gargles…they all help. And DEFINITELY don’t use your voice if you don’t have to! One other thing…take ibuprofen every four hours today, to help reduce the inflammation in your throat, along with an antihistimine.
Oh, and don’t forget prayer .
Redwolf
My voice, permanently impaired by age, will speak a prayer for the miracle you mentioned.
Hot lemonaid with honey is my favorite cure (aside from the miracle).
Mack
On 2002-12-24 11:02, aderyn wrote:
ewwwwwwwwww!!! <img src=> http://www.stopstart.freeserve.co.uk/smilie/dizzy.gif> >I wonder what that’s supposed to do-- haven’t heard that one before!! >
Andrea ~*~
[ This Message was edited by: aderyn on 2002-12-24 11:02 ]
Soothe, moist, er… lubricate ? Dunno what does it, the yolk or the gooey stuff
All good advice–but I would be careful of the raw eggs. That can be dangerous.
Best,
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
One thing you might do is get some oil, like baby oil or massage oil (but even olive oil would work fine) and rub it into your neck, massaging from your ear down to your throat. One thing that causes sore throats is swollen lymph glands. You ought to be able to feel swollen, painful areas and by massaging the lymph out and down, it should reduce the pain and swelling quite a bit.
I hope you get better very quickly
Oooh, I don’t know about the antihistamines. Unless you use Claritin, the other over-the-counter ones will all DRY YOU OUT. Not good.
I think asking this question is sort of like asking, “How do I get rid of these hiccups?” You’ve gotten every response from moisten to dry out, hot to cold.
Ibuprofen might work if you had a few days, but even prescription doses are unlikely to be anti-inflammatory that quickly. If your throat hurts, then ibuprofen will help, but you can’t get a nonsteroidal to be anti-inflammatory in a day.
Stuart
If, as you said, you have drainage, it sounds like you have a nasal/sinus problem. If so, the mucus produced is acidic and causes the burning in your throat. Your local drug store will have a mild saline nose spray. The purpose of the spray is to rinse away the mucus your sinuses are creating. It also tends to work as a mild decongestent. I used to get sinus colds/infections that would work their way down my throat and settle in my chest. I started using saline spray a couple of years ago, and haven’t had a chest cold since.
Your milage may vary and I’m not a mechanic.
Hope this help you …
I had the same problem due to a sinus infection last week. My voice was almost gone and I had to sing Wednesday night. Throat Coat Tea did the trick for me. Call your local pharmacies and health food store to see if they have any. It’s made for singers and speakers, and it restored my voice for the evening. Plus it tastes like licorice or anise. Great stuff.
Oh, and don’t drink any milk or pop or most anything cold.
Scott
“My doctor said I was paranoid… well, he didn’t actually say it, but I could tell he was thinking it.”
[ This Message was edited by: ScottStewart on 2002-12-24 12:21 ]
Throat Coat is awesome!! But you do have to be a fan of black licorice…
Andrea ~*~