Should You Sing With a Cold (+5 Tips to Get Healthy)

Should You Sing With a Cold (+5 Tips to Get Healthy) Sign up successful Singing With a Cold Should You Do It? If you aren’t your usual self because of illness and you have a big vocal audition or performance that you cant miss, don’t panic. Just be sure to take care of your voice before, during, and after. Here are my recommendations: Before: Drink lots of water and get excellent sleep the night before. Avoid  alcoholic beverages or caffeine.  Use a humidifier while you sleep to keep your throat hydrated overnight, and take a long, hot shower the morning of the performance, because the steam will reduce swelling as you inhale.  Gargle, steam, be silent, and have a big cup of hot tea immediately before you go on stage.  Odds are, you’ll make it through. Always Warm Up: Use the following warm ups that are specifically designed for sick singers. During: Don’t force it   rely on what your voice teacher has taught you and make smart decisions.  Adapt pitches if possible, change the key so the song is lower, or if you have control over the repertoire, choose a song that is reliable, has a limited range, and is easy on your vocal cords.  This will save your voice the strain of singing  high notes while swollen.  And remember, sometimes it’s better to cancel than to risk strain or have important ears hear you when you aren’t at your best. After: Don’t relive every moment of the performance.  You did the best you could do under the circumstances and you got through it. Now go home, sleep, and give yourself a break! Tips for Getting Better Just remember if youre feeling strain, its better not to  risk it!  Our instruments are part of our bodies and our bodies take time to heal. Dont be afraid to take some time off. Here are some basic guidelines  to follow: 1. Stay home and stay quiet. If your throat is swollen from too much singing, talking, coughing, or from being covered in mucus (not pretty, but true), the greatest way to heal is to rest completely. So talk yourself down off that “I’ll never sing again” ledge, and just stay home and be quiet for as long as you can stand it. Trust me, everyone you know will thank you for sparing them from your germs. Also, remember that whispering is worse for your voice than speaking out loud, so don’t even bother. Silence is golden, so make it a fun game of charades or grab a blanket and hunker down for a Netflix marathon. 2. Hydrate. It takes around 24 hours for the water you drink to actually refresh your vocal folds. That means if you have a lesson or a performance coming up, drink lots of water the day before. Of course, drinking water any time is helpful, especially when its warm. It’ll make your throat feel better and help you heal in the long run. If your scratchy throat is unexpected and you need to hydrate right away, steam is the only thing that works immediately. Boil a pot of water, bend over it, cover your head with a towel and inhale the  hot air. We won’t tell anyone how weird you look while you’re doing it. 3. Show your throat some love. There are some great tricks to really speed your throat’s recovery. Try gargling with a mixture of salt, warm water, and a little apple cider vinegar. It will help shake the mucus off of your vocal folds and reduce any swelling. Lozenges can also help your throat feel better  try sugar-free Ricola or Pine Brothers Softish Throat Drops. 4. Choose your foods wisely. There are foods that can help and foods that can hurt when you’re sick. I recommend avoiding dairy products, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, grease, and spice. In other words,  don’t have any culinary fun while you’re under the weather. Be boring. Try caffeine-free lemon or chamomile tea with a drop of honey. During meals, bland is best. Have white fish or chicken breast and lots of vegetables and non-acidic fruits. Chicken noodle soup is mom’s go-to food when you’re sick for a reason. Chicken, veggies, warm broth, and bland noodles are a perfect combo for an ailing throat. 5. Talk to the experts. Still not feeling better? It’s time to turn to the professionals you trust. Ask your voice teacher for exercises that can help you, like humming while blowing bubbles into a glass of water through a straw. See your primary care physician and an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist who can take pictures of your vocal folds in action. And of course, follow the instructions given to you by these experts! If they say stay quiet, stay quiet. If they say hum instead of sing, hum instead of sing. If they tell you to drink more fluids and get some rest… well, you get the idea. If you cant make it to a doctor, the chart below contains recommendations for  what to try based on your specific vocal problem. (When in doubt, though, stay calm and stay quiet!) Illness happens to the best of us, and when it does its your cue to take a step back. Singing with a cold isnt fun, so take care of yourself and get better soon! Post Author:  Katie B. Katie B. teaches singing and Broadway singing in Plainsboro, NJ. She holds a Bachelors degree in Voice Performance from New England Conservatory and a Masters degree in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College. Learn more about Katie  here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher