Vincent Cumberworth BSc FRCS Consultant Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon

Clementine Churchill Hospital Sudbury Hill Harrow Middlesex HA1 3RX
Private Secretary: Tel: 020 8872 3866 Fax: 0208872 3861

Information is supplied only upon the condition that the viewer will make their own determination as to the suitability of the information for its purposes prior to use. There will be no responsibility for information that is misused or misinterpreted and the information should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a health care professional. It is not possible to answer questions regarding individual cases or to enter into individual correspondence.

VOICE PROBLEMS AND SINGING

Managing Acid Reflux

• Avoid eating late at night
• Reduce fatty or spicy foods
• Minimise caffeine and alcohol
• Try to eat and chew slowly
• Avoid eating on the move
• Beware of leaning forward or lying down soon after eating

Managing Mucus

• Avoid self-diagnosis. Some people, for example, say they have sinusitis when there is no clinical evidence for this, and treat themselves for something they don’t have.
• Make sure you drink plenty of fluids, preferably water, but not alcohol, caffeine and cola drinks.
• Use steam inhalations to thin out mucus
• Avoid frequent throat clearing
• Sip water or swallow when you want to cough
• Gently massage the muscles in your neck

Managing laryngeal muscle tension

• Beware of telling yourself to pull yourself together when you are feeling stressed as you may create even more tension in your larynx
• Consider combining physical and psychological treatments for your muscle tension
• Avoid going after quick fixes for your problems
• Consider your whole body. Turning your attention to the whole of you can help in undoing tension in your larynx. Alexander teachers can identify faulty postural and breathing patterns in the rest of your body which affect your singing.



© Vincent Cumberworth 2005