8 Hours

Sleep is when the voice is rejuvenated

Your voice should feel ‘reset’ in the morning

~ 64 oz. per day

Clear pee

Sip while singing

~ 24 hours to reach folds

Dosage (consider how much you’re talking)

Loud environments (don’t push over music, crowds, etc)

Vocal abuse (no screaming at concerts, amusement parks, or sporting events)

Sing well (avoid destructive singing)

Warm up before singing

Alcohol = diuretic (causes you to pee out a lot of water)

Refrain from drinking days leading up to & on gig days

If you do drink alcohol, have a cup of water with each drink to stay hydrated

Acid reflux (avoid foods that give you heartburn)

Stop eating 2-3 hours before bed

“Loss” of voice or inability to phonate

Voice lower than usual

Increased general effort

Reduced quality of head voice/falsetto

Delayed onsets

Rest voice, if possible

Sleep (and other vocal health basics)

Avoid alcohol (diuretic)

See a doctor (ENT)

Corticosteroid (reduce inflammation)

Antibiotics (when necessary)

Take Mucinex (Guaifenesin) for phlegm

Avoid NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as aspirin & ibuprofen

Tylenol for pain

Chew & swallow a clove of raw garlic (combine with honey) for sore throat

Risks

• Exacerbated & prolonged inflammation

• Vocal fold hemorrhage

Take steroid to reduce inflammation, lower risks, & improve singing ability

Easy, soothing warm up (straw) before gig

No talking before, during, or after the gig

Rest voice as much as possible before next gig

Most of these remedies are designed to numb your symptoms & soothe you; they don’t actually make you better

As a singer, you don’t want to numb your symptoms, but rather fix them

Ignoring symptoms will make your voice worse

Placebo is an important element of these home remedies

Menthol cough drops are drying & not great for singers

Use menthol free, supplement lozenges (clickable link)

Tea essentially soothes you; it will not save you from a hoarse voice (inflamed vocal folds)

Herbal properties, such as ginger & honey, are known to fight bacteria & boost the immune system

Garlic has anti-bacterial properties & helps to remedy a sore throat

Chew & swallow a clove of raw garlic

Combine with honey to cut the strong taste

Eat slowly (may upset stomach slightly

Vitamin C is a useful preventative

Take 1000mg of vitamin C per day

If sick, increase vitamin C to 4000mg per day to shorten the illness

If sick, take 15-30 mg of zinc per day to shorten the illness

Zinc as a preventative is speculative, but many recommend it

Callus like, benign masses on the vocal folds

Come in symmetrical pairs, one on each fold

Form when folds are habitually rubbed together with excessive force (poor technique, and/or behavioral vocal abuse)

Treatment is to change vocal behavior; reduce vocal abuse

Surgery is rarely necessary

A single, benign mass on a vocal fold

Develop after vocal fold hemorrhage

Not a sign of poor singing technique

Treatment involves medication (cortisone), & possibly surgical removal

A ruptured capillary on the vocal fold

Due to excessive voice use while vocal folds are inflamed

Some well known artists have hemorrhaged (Adele, Steven Tyler)

Visiting a laryngologist is required

Vocal rest will be part of treatment

May lead to polyp formation if left untreated