How can you help singers with chronic conditions maintain vocal health?

1 Know your condition

The first step to maintaining vocal health is to understand your condition and how it affects your singing. Different conditions may have different symptoms, triggers, and treatments that can impact your vocal performance and quality. For example, asthma can cause shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing, which can strain your vocal cords and reduce your stamina. Allergies can cause inflammation, mucus, and congestion, which can affect your resonance, pitch, and tone. Diabetes can cause dry mouth, thirst, and fatigue, which can make your voice more prone to cracking, hoarseness, and infection. Arthritis can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in your joints and muscles, which can limit your range of motion and posture. You should consult your doctor and vocal coach about your specific condition and how it affects your voice, and follow their recommendations for medication, diet, exercise, and lifestyle.

2 Warm up and cool down

Warming up and cooling down are essential for any singer, but especially for singers with chronic conditions. Warming up helps you prepare your vocal cords, muscles, and breathing for singing, and reduces the risk of injury and strain. Cooling down helps you relax your voice and body after singing, and prevents vocal fatigue and damage. You should warm up and cool down for at least 10 minutes before and after each singing session, and use exercises that are suitable for your condition and goals. For example, if you have asthma, you may want to focus on breathing exercises that help you control your airflow and diaphragm. If you have allergies, you may want to use gentle humming and lip trills to clear your nasal passages and reduce inflammation. If you have diabetes, you may want to drink plenty of water and avoid sugary or caffeinated drinks that can dehydrate your voice. If you have arthritis, you may want to stretch your neck, shoulders, and jaw to ease tension and pain.

3 Sing with proper technique

Singing with proper technique is another key to maintaining vocal health as a singer with a chronic condition. Proper technique helps you sing with ease, efficiency, and expression, and avoids habits that can harm your voice and worsen your condition. You should sing with proper posture, alignment, breath support, resonance, articulation, and vocal hygiene. You should also avoid singing too loudly, too high, too low, or for too long, as these can strain your voice and cause vocal fatigue, nodules, or polyps. You should also avoid singing styles that require excessive vocal pressure, such as belting, screaming, or growling, unless you are trained and supervised by a vocal coach. You should also avoid singing when you are sick, stressed, or tired, as these can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to infections and inflammation.

4 Adjust your repertoire and schedule

Another way to help singers with chronic conditions maintain vocal health is to adjust your repertoire and schedule according to your condition and needs. You should choose songs that suit your vocal range, style, and mood, and avoid songs that are too challenging, demanding, or stressful for your voice and body. You should also plan your singing sessions and performances around your condition and medication, and avoid singing when you are experiencing a flare-up, a side effect, or a complication. You should also balance your singing with rest and recovery, and give your voice and body enough time to heal and rejuvenate. You should also communicate your condition and needs to your vocal coach, your collaborators, and your audience, and ask for their support and understanding.

5 Seek professional help

The final tip to help singers with chronic conditions maintain vocal health is to seek professional help when needed. Professional help can come from different sources, such as your doctor, your vocal coach, your speech therapist, or your vocal therapist. These professionals can help you diagnose, treat, and prevent any vocal problems that may arise from your condition, and provide you with personalized advice, exercises, and therapies that can improve your vocal health and performance. You should seek professional help if you notice any changes or issues with your voice, such as hoarseness, loss of range, pain, discomfort, or difficulty singing. You should also seek professional help if you have any questions or concerns about your condition and how it affects your singing, or if you want to learn more about vocal coaching for singers with chronic conditions.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?