When to avoid singing with a respiratory infection
Singers need to listen to their bodies. Here are some indications that there is swelling in your vocal folds and you should avoid singing:
Singing when your vocal folds are compromised risks laryngitis and possible vocal fold polyps (Sundberg, 1987). If you are unsure, try the following:
Sing “Happy Birthday,” staccato, in the upper register or falsetto (for males). If this is easily accomplished, you can probably continue singing. If not, some vocal rest is desirable.
There are many causes of vocal fold swelling. These include:
Colds
Singers often wonder if they should sing when they have a cold. A cold is a viral infection (rhinovirus) of the upper respiratory tract (nose and throat) that generally resolves within one to two weeks. Colds typically do not involve fever and are therefore distinct from the flu and other infections of the respiratory tract.
In many cases you can sing during a cold, but if your vocal folds are swollen, this is the time to stop singing. Not only do you risk damage to the vocal folds, but swelling in the throat and tonsils can also be problematic, because pharyngeal resonance will be compromised. Imagine the change in sound in a resonant room if you added shag carpet—soft, swollen surfaces absorb sound and make the space smaller.
Of course during a cold you will have some sinus congestion. But since sinuses are not resonance chambers, congestion will not affect the sound of the voice to listeners, despite the altered perception of the singer!
- Hoarseness in the voice (even while speaking)
- Loss of range or change in range (e.g., more low notes, loss of high notes)
- Difficulty with starting sound (e.g., having to use a glottal onset and/or substantial breath pressure)
- Change in quality of your sound (e.g., breathy when usually clear; lack of resonance due to swollen surfaces in the vocal tract)
Singing when your vocal folds are compromised risks laryngitis and possible vocal fold polyps (Sundberg, 1987). If you are unsure, try the following:
Sing “Happy Birthday,” staccato, in the upper register or falsetto (for males). If this is easily accomplished, you can probably continue singing. If not, some vocal rest is desirable.
There are many causes of vocal fold swelling. These include:
- Viruses
- Overuse (even trained singers try to avoid singing more than three hours per day)
- Misuse of the voice (poor technique such as lack of breath support, excessive use of glottal onset, oversinging, singing at the extremes of the range for long periods of time)
- Gastric reflux
- Excessive coughing
- Post nasal drip from colds or allergies
- Smoking
Colds
Singers often wonder if they should sing when they have a cold. A cold is a viral infection (rhinovirus) of the upper respiratory tract (nose and throat) that generally resolves within one to two weeks. Colds typically do not involve fever and are therefore distinct from the flu and other infections of the respiratory tract.
In many cases you can sing during a cold, but if your vocal folds are swollen, this is the time to stop singing. Not only do you risk damage to the vocal folds, but swelling in the throat and tonsils can also be problematic, because pharyngeal resonance will be compromised. Imagine the change in sound in a resonant room if you added shag carpet—soft, swollen surfaces absorb sound and make the space smaller.
Of course during a cold you will have some sinus congestion. But since sinuses are not resonance chambers, congestion will not affect the sound of the voice to listeners, despite the altered perception of the singer!