Vocal Nodes

I recently found out that I have a small node on my vocal cords. I was just wondering what the immense wisdom of this board suggests doing to help heal it?

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Vocal rest. And then lessons to sing correctly so it doesn't happen again. If it's small, chances are it will go away with vocal rest...as long as it hasn't hardened you should be fine. PLEASE don't look to surgery...that should be the absolute last resort.

Small thread jack : How do you know if one has nodes? Does a doctor tell you? Just curious.


I've heard the best thing to do is get lots of vocal rest.

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You have to get it checked out by a doctor..

Which I will be doing very soon.

How do you suspect you have nodes? like symptoms? and who commonly gets nodes? as in what kind of singers? what do they do wrong?

I'm asking these questions because now my throat hurts lol

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Your voice will sound strained when you sing. And it will hurt when you sing.

And I feel both - so I need to get checked out.

Nodes do not hurt. That is an irritation of the throat. Your vocal cords don't have pain receptors (or so I was told by a doctor who works with singers, and is a singer herself).

Nodes are essentially calluses on your vocal cords from your chords banging together. It's basically a repetetive injury. It prevents the chords from oscillating as they should.

You would notice a change in your singing and speaking ablilty. Part of your range could disappear, or sound very breathy.

Costume Mistress made the most important point...be sure to see a doctor who is used to working with singers. Treatment for nodes (and polyps and other voice related issues) is very different when you depend on your voice for your living. Just think about treating the injury of an athelete vs. the everyday person.

Haha..."Take it eeeeeeeeasy sonny..." oh jeez, I love that show... Who knew the LP would give some good advice?

Stephanie, I'm EXACTLY the same! Anytime someone says something like that, I'll think to myself, "...hmmm...my throat hurts a little...*cough cough*...OH MY GOD!!!"

I had a speaker in a wheelchair come to my school and tell us how he found out from a tingling feeling in his toe that he became part of a 1% group that goes paralyzed from the waist down... of course, the next day I "felt" a tingling in my toe...haha... I'm the biggest dork...

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singingwendy...vocal nodes do hurt....and like hell when you sing. I had them, and vocal rest was all I wanted because talking and singing were painful. There is usually a pressure in your throat from the nodes banging together and sometimes there can be a feeling almost like a scrape in your throat. However, the best indication is, like you said, the loss of part of your range, and a very airy sound.

LoudIrishGirl you need not worry about this too much, as I'm sure if you rest your voice, they will go away. When I had nodes, I was on complete vocal rest for two weeks, then I started working with a teacher who was teaching me exercises to help the nodes go away, and about a month a half later, I was find again, and continuing lessons as normal. It may take you more or less time, but I'm sure they'll go away. If you can find a singing teacher to help you learn safe singing...one who knows how to work with students with vocal injuries, you will be best off.

taboophan1!! I feel your pain..it's nonstop!! lol...I wonder why we do that?!

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This is from someone who has had to deal with a lot of vocal issues because of a physiological condition I have on my cords...so i've dealt with/talked to a LOT of ENT's:

Basic rule of thumb: if it hurts, you shouldn't be doing it...cause it's your body telling you to stop. That's why it hurts when we cut ourselves...so we don't cut ourselves more...and that's why singing incorrectly hurts...cause it's unhealthy.

With that said, it is hard (in some shows/styles, impossible) to do 8 shows a week and not have some minor vocal strain...however, the trick is to know your body well enough to know how it heals. Pay attention to your voice and it will teach you.

In addition, vocal nodes are SERIOUS business. Vocal rest is the best thing you can do...FULL VOCAL REST (especially not whispering...which puts as much vocal strain on your chords as yelling)...and follow the advice of an ENT who deals with singers...many ENT's don't get the whole singing thing...whiich is why it is good to seek out those that do.

Finally, learn a technique that keeps you in good condition, and don't feel badly about turning down gigs that you know you can't handle vocally...those of us who are young often think we can sing forever without a problem...but it just ain't true...know your limits, know your voice, and know when to shut up.

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Doogie, at the same time you can't help feeling bad. What a legend. If you think about it, it was really her devotion and passion for the part that kind of made her blind to the danger of the surgery. As for the "well into her sixties", I don't think that would have much to do with it. We've seen many stars well beyond their sixties come back and have no trouble. I'm not being argumentative, just showing a different perspective.

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I'm afraid it's not that simple some vitamins and prayers- - - although they can't
hurt - - - vocal rest and voice lessons are at the top of the list. Having had nodes
pamper yourself and take care, they can come back. Good Luck, this seems
to be an occupational hazzard.