7 Tips to Help You Sing When You're Sick

A singer's worst day is when they come down with a cold. Sneezing, coughing, and sore throats can all throw a wrench into your singing plans. There is a plethora of get-well-quick medicines and tips floating around but only a handful of them are backed up by research, doctors, and vocal professionals. Whether you're preparing for a recital, choir concert, or the opening night of your show these tips can help you keep your voice safe and healthy.

1. Drink some water, then drink more.

While tea, cough drops, and other remedies soothe your sore throat, they do not do anything for your actual vocal folds. If something fluid actually touched your vocal folds that would mean you're drowning which would NOT be good! When you hydrate by drinking water, your vocal folds will be hydrated via our awesome body system. Your vocal folds are a muscle and they are getting a crazy work out when you sing. Especially when you're sick, you need to increase your water intake to ensure that you're hydrating your vocal folds and the rest of your body.

2. Use a cool air humidifier.

As I pointed out above, cough drops and teas do not actually touch your vocal folds. Using a cool air humidifier is a way to get moisture directly onto your vocal folds. Avoid using a warm air humidifier because they run a higher risk of harboring unwanted bacteria or mold. Do not use a humidifier with anything else but water. You don't want foreign elements going into your lungs nor onto your vocal folds.

3. Don't whisper!

When our voices are sore, the natural thing people do is whisper to "protect" your voice. Don't. It is a disservice to your voice. It is better to talk with a full breath stream, what I call "primal connection", than to talk with less. When you whisper, you squeeze your larynx together in an unnatural way which causes undue strain on your vocal folds. When you talk at primal connection, your vocal folds naturally create sound and is easy on your voice. (More on that in an upcoming post.)

4. Try your best not to cough or clear your throat.

Clearing your throat or coughing is like taking your arms and vigorously hitting them against each other. Your arms would come away bruised and sore. The same thing goes for our vocal folds. By forcing them to slam together, you are able to break up the mucus near the epiglottis but it leaves your vocal folds bruised and sore. Instead, try breathing in slowly with an open throat and breathe out quickly on a strong "H" sound to clear unwanted mucus.

5. Avoid medicines and drinks that dry.

Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Sudafed, and many other medicines dry up the moisture in our bodies to stop the symptoms of a cold. While they bring you relief, they will be working against all that you are doing to hydrate your vocal folds. Before using drying medicines, first try Tylenol and a mucosal expectorant, like Mucinex, that thins the mucus rather than dries it up. While I still use Advil and Sudafed when I have a cold, I am very cautious. It's a delicate balance of deciding whether it's more important to have the mucus cleared and feeling better over the hydration of my vocal folds.

Any drink with Caffeine in it (Coffee, Tea, most Sodas) should be avoided when you are ill. Caffeine dries rather than hydrates.

6. Don't discredit the placebo effect.

While there is no scientific proof that wearing a scarf around your neck, or eating greasy foods, or drinking Throat Coat actually helps your singing voice, if it helps you - DO IT! I have my own personal remedies that make me feel better when I'm sick. It at least gives me the subconscious boost I need to perform well.

7. If there is a "clunk" when you do a siren, see a Doctor.

If you there is a place in your voice where you cannot make sound when making a slow siren up then down, that is a sign of a worse problem. Laryngitis, vocal nodes, or other more serious vocal illnesses cause singers to lose parts of their voices. If this is the case, put yourself on strict vocal rest and schedule an appointment with a doctor. I'd especially encourage you to see an Ear Nose and Throat Doctor who has training with singers.

If you can do a full siren with no missing clunks, your vocal folds are healthy and you should be able to sing normally. I know it stinks to sing when you don't feel well, but it's just your throat that is sore, not your voice box. Your nose may be plugged up and there may be extra vibration due to the mucus, but you CAN sing through it without hurting your voice. Just be sure to sing with a full stream of air and all other good singing habits!

Break a leg out there!