IN PRACTICE
If you have experienced any of these things, rest assured you are not alone. And the really good news is that in most cases, you can overcome these problems and get back to being your best vocal self.
Here are some tips for ensuring your best vocal health during COVID and beyond:
If your voice has changed, don’t wait—get help. Any vocal symptoms lasting longer than two weeks could be a sign of a voice injury or disorder and should be evaluated by a medical voice care team (Stachler et al, 2018). Symptoms might include change in vocal quality (hoarseness, raspy voice, breathiness, gravelly voice, and so on), change in stamina (vocal fatigue, vocal strain), pain with voice use, changes in pitch and/or dynamic range, or changes in vocal stability. Depending on your community, your local ear-nose- and-throat (ENT) doctor may not have the level of experience, expertise, and equipment needed for high- level voice care. Your vocal health team should include a laryngologist (ENT doctor who has had additional fellowship training in care of the voice) and a clinical singing voice specialist (speech-language pathologist who has extensive background in performance and
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teaching singing). You are a vocal athlete, and you owe it to yourself and your instrument to get the specialized care your voice deserves. A silver lining of COVID has been the burgeoning availability and quality of telehealth. You may need to travel some distance to see your vocal health team for your initial evaluation, but in many cases voice therapy can now be conducted via video visit, making access to high-quality care much more feasible.
Make sure you’re maximizing your vocal hygiene Your body is the carrying case for your vocal instrument
and needs your care to support vocal health. •
Hydration: Drink at least sixty-four ounces of non- caffeinated beverages per day, ideally water. Keep caffeine consumption to around two eight-ounce
• servings per day. Lozenges: If you use cough drops or lozenges, take a look at the ingredients. Avoid products containing mint, menthol, eucalyptus, or anything numbing (benzocaine). Look for products containing pectin, slippery elm, or glycerin—these are more benign ingredients.
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