Can a Cold have do permanent damage to your singing voice?

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 6:04pm

So I came down with a nasty cold over a week ago, but I didn't go to the doctors cause I haven't had time and school has been hectic. I was under the assumption that after a few days on some decongestants and cough medicine it would go away.....but it hasn't. I don't feel sick, but I still have a slight cough and my voice is now where near as good as it was pre-cold. I'm a young tenor and I can usually belt up to a G comfortable, and an A on most days. However, my voice is sounding raspy on even an F. I'm really starting to get worried that my voice is never going to recover. I have an audition tomorrow for a summer program as well so I'm kind of freaking out. If anyone has any advice/reasssurance or bad news (I hope not), please let me know.

[Juliash]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 6:25pm

Hey! I'm a young soprano and I'm having the same problem right now!! I've had a lot of trouble with colds and my sinuses in the past though and honestly, you just need to give it time and take it easy. Since you don't feel sick, you're obviously getting over it and you just have some residual crap in your system. Relax, don't stress your voice and take a lot of hot showers. Try drinking decaf herbal tea too..

[skb2010]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 8:28pm

I'm a contra alto, and i'm going to guess that your cold is just taking so long to go away because of stress. i had a cold show week of my first lead role back in november, but i drank like 8 bottles of water a day. and it worked.

so i'm just going to suggest cough drops and lots and lots of water. =]

[Juliash]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 8:49pm

But don't Ludens or any cough drops that are really sweet because the sugar can sometimes feed bacteria on your throat. It sounds like I'm making that up...but I'm not...

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 8:52pm

Well I've been drinking throat coat but I haven't really been noticing any effects....I just took a cepacol lozenge that has an anesthetic for tonight, and I'm going to buy some ricola lozenges for tomorrow....are those too sugary?

[BDavis0092]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 9:43pm

A few years ago I got sick and lost my falsetto for about a year. I really had to work to get it back.

[Juliash]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 10:14pm

probably not. Just stay away from fruit breezers and ludens...

Also, you might try a humidifier or a facial steamer.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 10:46pm

I had a cold too, for about a week and a half. I actually can reach higher and lower notes than I did before the cold.

[Prisoner 24601]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 11:16pm

My advice is to rest. If you must sing, what teachers have told me is that it's okay to sing more in your nose than normal, if it helps the tone resonate more clearly than in your throat. My experience with Throat Coat has been that it doesn't heal your vocal chords, but merely soothes them. You know how if you get a shot of numbing medicine at the dentist you can bite your tongue without feeling it? The same can happen if you rely on Throat Coat too heavily, you might do damage to your chords without necessarily feeling it. Drink some to get through the audition if you have to then shut up till your voice has returned naturally. Trying to force your voice back into its normal state by singing will not help you.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 3/19/08 at 7:42am

I just took a cepacol lozenge that has an anesthetic for tonight,

Do not take those before you have to sing. With the anesthetic, you won't feel if you're pushing yourself too far. The ricolas are better.

[IfOnlyIDefiedGravity]

Posted: 3/19/08 at 10:13am

I'm dealing with a slight cold right now, it was weird. Knocked my on my butt one day and then I'm fine.

I'm still coughing pretty heavily, but I'm still practicing my singing. I've got Peter Pan auditions (local theater) on the 1st, so....

[RunningInTheDark]

Posted: 3/19/08 at 12:35pm

I strongly urge you NOT to take throat coat. I had a friend that lived on that **** and got SERIOUS nodes because of the "false" sense you get that your throat is okay.

I would have you really take a step back and look at your technique. You should never depend on a "Good Day" in order to reach an A. That probably means you are using too much muscle pressure to reach the high notes, and when your muscles fatique, so does your voice.

BUT, for right now, I would say hardcore take like TWO days off fom NOT TALKING AT ALL. Get a nice white erase board and drik loads of water. You'll be amazed at how much your voice can heal in just a day or too of absolute rest.

If all else fails, see an ENT. I found out not too long ago that I have Acid Reflux, making my upper register raspy or mucusy if left untreated.

[Juliash]

Posted: 3/19/08 at 3:23pm

Throat Coat also tastes like Satan.