Many athletes think it’s perfectly fine to push through injury, even if it hurts. Of course that’s not usually a smart decision. Vocal athletes are on the same playing field – if you push your voice when you have a cold, the flu, or allergy symptoms, you’re risking permanent damage to your vocal cords.
Vocal athletes are people who use their voices for more than just casual conversation. These people are teachers, call center employees, ministers, public speaking professionals, singers, and more. When you depend on your voice to make a living, it’s important to protect it from damage.
The effects of allergies, colds, and flu
So many of my patients come to me saying they were sick, but they pushed through whatever they had to do vocally. That’s when they run into trouble and end up hoarse or losing their voices entirely.
When you push your voice through a cold, your vocal cords can swell, which can lead to a condition called laryngitis. When you develop laryngitis, pushing your voice is a very bad idea. Even if you’ve committed to singing in a recital or giving a three-hour lecture, it’s best to postpone or find a substitute, or you may end up in trouble. Treatment for laryngitis includes resting your voice – using it too much can lead to long-term damage that may require surgery.
If your allergy, cold, or flu symptoms are causing you to cough and clear your throat a lot, or if you’re concerned that you’ve developed laryngitis, check with a laryngologist (a type of otolaryngologist, or ear, nose, and throat doctor who specializes in the vocal cords and care of the voice). Throat clearing and coughing are traumatic events for your vocal cords that can cause damage if the symptoms are not resolved quickly. Your laryngologist can help to optimize your treatment and help protect your voice to avoid long-term damage.
Treating and avoiding long-term voice damage
Most of us don’t really think about our voice as a tangible thing that requires care – until we can’t use it because of illness. When you get sick and lose your voice, you may think it’s just a normal part of being sick.
Hydration is huge for voice care because water helps thin the mucus that then lubricates the vocal cords as they vibrate. The vocal cords dry out quickly. And it takes a long time to rehydrate them. The best way to keep your hydration at an optimal level is by drinking plenty of water. Not tea, not coffee, not soda – water. Drinks that contain caffeine may seem like they’re hydrating you, but they’re really drying you out more. Unfortunately, your decongestant cold medicine may contribute to dehydration of the vocal cords. Of course, we always stress the importance of nicotine cessation. Not only because of the cancers associated, but also the heat is damaging to the vocal cord tissues.
Over time, your vocal cords can develop abnormal growths, which are often considered a wear and tear injury from constant use and abuse of the voice. These lesions can continue to enlarge and make the voice worse and worse until surgical removal may be required.
Our team tries to keep people out of the operating room. But sometimes vocal cord surgery is necessary because of irreversible damage.
Before we operate, we almost always start our patients in a voice therapy program to see if the lesion will shrink and possibly even go away. Reversibility is common with vocal cord growths, but they don’t go away on their own – it requires patience and diligence by both the patient and the voice team. Sometimes we can cancel surgery, which is wonderful for everyone!
There are several ways to treat vocal cord damage. But, like all medical conditions, prevention is key. If you’re sick, don’t try to push your voice. It’s disappointing to miss a performance or have to skip a speaking event at work, but it sure beats having to go through surgery to save your voice. To schedule with a laryngologist, call 214-645-8898.
FAQs
Swelling of your vocal cords muffles sound, and you get hoarse. When you try to talk, all that may come out is a whisper or squeak. Swelling of the voice box can be triggered by an infection, such as a cold, the flu, or bronchitis. Or the problem could be something as simple as overing your voice.
Can your voice be affected by allergies? ›
Allergies can affect your voice in several ways, and yes, they can even cause you to lose your voice. First, allergens themselves can irritate and enflame the vocal cords, which can cause hoarseness. Second, the congestion from a stuffed nose or postnasal drip can make it difficult to breathe easily.
Can the cold mess up your voice? ›
The effects of allergies, colds, and flu
That's when they run into trouble and end up hoarse or losing their voices entirely. When you push your voice through a cold, your vocal cords can swell, which can lead to a condition called laryngitis.
Why is my cold affecting my voice? ›
During a cold, several things can cause one to lose their voice. If extra mucus is being created, it can coat the vocal folds, preventing them from having a smooth vibration, which can lead to a raspy sound or even loss of voice.
How long does it take for voice to recover from flu? ›
Acute laryngitis often gets better on its own within a week or so. Self-care measures, such as voice rest, drinking fluids and humidifying your air, also can help improve symptoms.
What virus attacks the vocal cords? ›
The infectious form is more common and usually follows an upper respiratory tract infection. Viral agents such as rhinovirus, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, coronavirus, adenovirus, and influenza are all potential etiologic agents (listed in roughly descending order of frequency).
How do you recover from allergies in your voice? ›
The key to treating allergy related laryngitis involves reducing the inflammation in your larynx. Hydration is essential in lubricating the vocal folds and thinning excess mucus, so be sure to drink lots of fluids. Using a humidifier to moisturize the air will also help with hydration.
How long does allergy laryngitis last? ›
Hoarseness from an allergic substance that can be avoided should go away in hours. Examples are a reaction to pets, a barn, raking leaves or air pollution. Hoarseness during pollen season can last 4-8 weeks. It may return whenever you don't give the allergy medicine.
Do you need antibiotics for laryngitis? ›
Antibiotics. If laryngitis is caused by a bacterial infection, your healthcare provider may prescribe antibiotics. Antifungals. If the laryngitis is related to a candida or yeast infection, you may be given an antifungal.
How do you get rid of a weird voice from a cold? ›
Remedies to Get Your Voice Back Fast. Resting your voice, gargling with salt water, using a humidifier, and drinking warm beverages may help soothe your larynx and restore your voice. Treating laryngitis and getting your voice back involves treating the inflammation and irritation in your voice box.
Experiencing unexpected hoarseness or voice loss can indicate an underlying health condition. Other possible causes include: Acid reflux, known as heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). Growths on your vocal cord tissue, also called vocal nodules, polyps, cysts, and contact ulcers.
How long does it take for vocal cords to heal? ›
It can take as long as 6 to 9 months before your voice gets better.
Is honey good for laryngitis? ›
Drinking warm water helps relieve pain and inflammation, and honey is a natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory substance. By fighting inflammation, it may help reduce pain and discomfort in the throat. Honey can also act as a cough suppressant. People who find honey too sweet can add lemon juice to the hot water.
Can you lose your voice with the flu? ›
Depending on the degree of swelling, the voice may become mildly hoarse, turn into a croak or whisper or even disappear temporarily. Laryngitis often occurs along with a viral infection, such as a cold or flu. Hoarseness tends to appear later in the illness, after the sore throat, sneezing, coughing and other symptoms.
What is the best medicine for laryngitis? ›
Treatment may include:
- Antibiotics for bacterial infection.
- Corticosteroids for fast relief in limited applications.
- Proton-pump inhibitors for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Antihistamines for allergies causing post-nasal drip.
Laryngitis is commonly caused by a viral infection, such as a cold or flu. Bacterial infection may also cause laryngitis, although this is rare. COVID-19 may also lead to laryngitis and a hoarse voice.
Why is my voice weird when I'm sick? ›
A change in your voice can happen for many reasons, including: An Illness: Colds and other upper respiratory infections inflame and swell your vocal cords, making your voice sound hoarse or raspy. If you've been sick, you'll usually start to notice an improvement in your voice within a week or two.
How long does laryngitis last? ›
Laryngitis is when your voice box or vocal cords in the throat become irritated or swollen. It usually goes away by itself within 1 to 2 weeks.
Is laryngitis from the flu contagious? ›
Is laryngitis contagious? Laryngitis is only contagious if an infection caused it. For example, if you have a viral or bacterial infection that caused the condition, it's possible to pass it on to others.
