Some reasons the care varies are due to the hormone changes within a person's body. This not only changes from age to age, but from gender to gender. It also varies due to life stages, and lifestyles. This means that what worked for a singer in their twenties will likely change when that same person is in their forties.
These are my habits to maintain a healthy, usable voice. Use them as insight, direction, trial and error to find your own personal care habits and routines.
Keeping myself free from allergic reactions is a constant defense. I live in Florida where it is a perpetual Spring and Summer. Besides the abundance of every kind of pollen known to man, and then some, we also struggle with the hazards of central air conditioning and heat. (The worst being the few nights a year heating gets turned on. The dormant dust mites wreak havoc.) There are many culprits to trigger allergies. I take Claritin or Zyrtec during the day. And Benadryl at night. Only as needed. But, "as needed" to me is not defined by a stuffy nose. A mere glance at the dusting of green or brown powder on outdoor surfaces is enough to tell me that I need to pop an antihistamine. Also, sadly, if flowers smell pretty. They smell good because they're being heavily pollinated. Antihistamines are designed to be proactive before the snowball of congestion starts.
By the way, if you take any over the counter med labeled "PM," such as Tylenol PM, you're taking the antihistamine, Dyphenhydramine. Otherwise known as, Benadryl. That may be sufficient. If it's not, add a non-drowsy antihistamine as I mentioned earlier.
Keeping congestion at bay is so important. That's why the allergy medicine is vital. When congestion sits, it turns into an infection that can snowball into WEEKS of coughing (TERRIBLE for your vocal chords.) At this point you'll need to get aggressive in bringing about healing.
Sadly, hanging out with large circles of friends are not conducive to a ready-to-sing voice. I can't count the times I had to choose between a fun, loud time of laughter with a circle of friends after a church conference, or leading worship. My purpose and calling is to lead worship. If I'm hoarse from chatting late into the night I can't minister as I'm meant to. It's a bummer. But it's a choice. (I've never regretted choosing worship leading.)
Here's the hardest preservation habit for Apostolics... (And I'm GLAD this is the hardest.)
Choose silence over long-term loud praying. As Pemtecostals this seems like the end of the world. I know of some people who feel like they can't feel God if they're not praying at the top of their voice. And if they can't "feel God," somehow this equates to them not being anointed when they minister.
This kind of thinking frustrates me to no end. (Hannah's greatest miracle came from a SILENT prayer. There are other examples in scripture showing that quiet can be just as powerful and important as loud.) I'm not proposing that we should only have very quiet prayer meetings and worship services. That's ridiculous. But I am telling you that I can't do what God's called me to do if I am hoarse. And since God uses my VOICE, I must preserve it.
He will allow me the thrill of screaming and hollering in a prayer meeting. He will meet with me in that setting. But if I've chosen that, I can not ALSO be used of Him to lead hundreds into God's presence via my voice. To presume that one "must" yell and holler in prayer is an extremely undisciplined, faithless, selfish idea. God called the human body to minister. He did not endow that human body with super-human abilities, such as screaming in prayer for an hour, AND leading worship for an hour... Night after night, with a couple of days thrown in.
I pray loudly. I "amen" the preacher loudly. I intercede and travail with groanings which cannot be uttered. But I don't do it for the length of time as those who are not responsible to lead worship. When the preacher says to shout Hallelujah, all I literally say is a top-of-my-voice, "Hallelujah," without a continued yell that lasts for twenty minutes. I'm obedient. I'm emotional, but I have to pick and choose based on the fact that when the preacher is done, and the audience is back for more, I'm able to lead them yet further.
An example of my habit, in an hour of prayer, (though I've never timed it) I imagine only about twenty minutes of the hour am I loudly using my voice. The rest of the time I keep my voice in a conversational tone, or I make no sound at all and I "mouth" the words. I never whisper prayer as whispering is very damaging to the throat. I definitely have prayer sessions when I'm loud, but I am aware of my voice's limits, and I keep in mind how soon I'll have to use it for worship leading, or speaking.
I've never felt God resist me, or turn me aside, or not meet with me because I was trying to preserve my voice. He's been a faithful, kind friend. He's worked miracles out for me more times than I can count. He's covered me in favor and anointing. Screaming is not always required.
Hydration is VITAL. Drink whatever you WILL drink. Sugary drinks make my throat feel all gunked up. I drink dairy, but not when I'm about to sing. I do drink coffee with no negative affect on my voice. It's always been helpful to me to sip coffee through rehearsals. You may hear advice that you shouldn't drink coffee. The reason for their warning is because caffeine is a diuretic. The concern is that it causes dehydration. It's never been an issue for me. Possibly because I drink so much water. I've done tea in the past, but I don't like it as much as coffee and water.
The vocal cords are extremely difficult to rehydrate once they've become dehydrated. Dehydrated vocal cords become hoarse quickly.
Drink.
Drink.
Drink.
Honey coats my throat, giving me that same gunked up feeling sugary drinks give me. So, I don't consume honey close to time to sing.
Speaking of honey... Let's move on to what I do when, despite my best efforts, my voice IS stripped of all its health and goodness; Honey is a natural antiseptic, so it's WONDERFUL for coating the throat.
When my throat is itching, or hoarse I eat honey by the spoonful. Its too strong and rich for me to enjoy. But it's proven very helpful. I sometimes put it in a warm tea. Green tea is my fav. But again, I'm just not as into it as coffee. I also gargle with warm (as hot as I can stand it) salt water. I sometimes gargle peroxide.
All of these remedies are mostly about keeping the wounds you've caused clean so they can heal as quickly as possible. Keep in mind, however, that if your wound was on the outside of your arm, and you were indeed keeping it clean, and putting medicine on it. But all the while you were also scraping the scab off, and rubbing the wound against abrasive surfaces. Your wound would take twice as long to heal, and you'd cause scaring as well.
This same idea happens in your throat. Once it's been stripped from overuse, and dehydration, the above remedies are merely keeping it clean. You've got to STOP USING IT in order for the wounds to heal. (As a choir director, this does not mean my choir members should not come up into the loft. They should come up and lead in worship by mouthing soundless words. Unless directed by a doctor that complete voice rest is necessary for many weeks, I want my members in their seat.)
Healing comes by stillness. I don't mean keeping your whole body still, but keeping your voice still.
No "projected" talking.
No whispering. (Whispering is very damaging.)
No coughing. (Take a suppressant, or drink lots of tap water, or warm beverage.)
No guffawing laughter. (Quiet chuckles will suffice. Sudden explosions to your voice aren't helpful to healing.)
There is a remedy drink I use in these situations...
Chicken bouillon in a cup of hot water
A spoon of honey
A sprinkle of cayenne pepper
A dash of tobacco sauce
The capsaicin in the pepper causes blood to rush to the surface. Blood brings healing.
When you have laryngitis, don't communicate in that common squeaky voice. Lower your speaking voice pitch. For ladies I say that you should speak in a man's voice. For men I suppose it could be described as mimicking James Earl Jones. It takes work and focus to do this, but if you can't isolate yourself with total silence, you should really learn to do this.
Sleep.
Sleep.
Sleep.
Your body repairs itself while you sleep. Choose sleep over watching a movie late into the night. Choose sleep over any activity when you have a choice.
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