Cold Weather Special Care
Colds
The common cold — upper respiratory infection or URI — is caused by a type of virus that likes cold, dry conditions. You can ward off some URIs by washing your hands frequently when in public places, and keeping your immune system strong with good nutrition, exercise, rest, and social support. But a further recommendation, especially for singers, is to keep your breathing environment humid rather than dry.
Running a vaporizer at night will make you less susceptible to colds, and more comfortable if you catch one. Take longer showers and baths; if you have access to a steam room, use it! Keep a hot beverage near your workspace, and sniff the steam in between sips. Steam soothes and protects your entire airway, and also helps clear extra phlegm.
If your speaking voice is affected, then your singing voice will be affected. Limit singing.
If a URI bug does make its way into your throat, the vocal cords can become inflamed. Swollen cords vibrate more slowly, which makes your pitch lower. The vocal cords may also vibrate unevenly, leading you to sound hoarse or rough. Other vocal symptoms of a URI can include a smaller pitch range (inflamed cords don’t stretch as far) and less control over loudness (that all-or-nothing honk.)
Extra congestion in the nose or sinuses can temporarily block resonance, making your voice sound dull. Chest congestion or overall fatigue can diminish breath support. Repeated coughing can irritate otherwise healthy vocal cords. Under any of these conditions, pushing or tensing to try to sound “normal” will give you more trouble in the long run. Instead, a few days of relative silence — plus sleep, fluids, and steam — will help your voice recover quickly.
The common cold — upper respiratory infection or URI — is caused by a type of virus that likes cold, dry conditions. You can ward off some URIs by washing your hands frequently when in public places, and keeping your immune system strong with good nutrition, exercise, rest, and social support. But a further recommendation, especially for singers, is to keep your breathing environment humid rather than dry.
- Vaporizer
Running a vaporizer at night will make you less susceptible to colds, and more comfortable if you catch one. Take longer showers and baths; if you have access to a steam room, use it! Keep a hot beverage near your workspace, and sniff the steam in between sips. Steam soothes and protects your entire airway, and also helps clear extra phlegm.
- Funny Sounds
If your speaking voice is affected, then your singing voice will be affected. Limit singing.
If a URI bug does make its way into your throat, the vocal cords can become inflamed. Swollen cords vibrate more slowly, which makes your pitch lower. The vocal cords may also vibrate unevenly, leading you to sound hoarse or rough. Other vocal symptoms of a URI can include a smaller pitch range (inflamed cords don’t stretch as far) and less control over loudness (that all-or-nothing honk.)
Extra congestion in the nose or sinuses can temporarily block resonance, making your voice sound dull. Chest congestion or overall fatigue can diminish breath support. Repeated coughing can irritate otherwise healthy vocal cords. Under any of these conditions, pushing or tensing to try to sound “normal” will give you more trouble in the long run. Instead, a few days of relative silence — plus sleep, fluids, and steam — will help your voice recover quickly.
- Watch Medication