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Acid Reflux
Acid Reflux - it can manifest as GERD (gastroesophageal
reflux disease) which affects mostly the stomach and esophagus, or LPR
(laryngopharyngeal reflux) which also affects the larynx and throat
(sometimes the trachea, bronchi and lungs as well).
Yes we gave poor Ashley Simpson a pretty hard
time when she claimed that her singing "difficulties" were
due to acid reflux. What you may not have known is that this is a condition
that actually can wreak havoc on the throat and vocals cords. Undiagnosed
and untreated, acid reflux can ruin a singer's voice, especially when
a significant percentage of cases of LPR (about 85%) include no symptoms
of heartburn at all - so you may have it and not even know it. It's
important to distinguish that most cases of GERD occur at night when
the person is lying down; a larger amount of acid washes up into the
esophagus, whereas LPR occurs during the day when the person is upright,
with less acid washing up into the throat but still enough to cause
significant damage if left untreated.
Singers in particular are more susceptible
to both these disorders because of added pressure exerted with the abdominal
muscles in order to support the voice (this is especially true for you
screamers and hard rock/metal singers out there).
If you suspect that you have either GERD or
LPR here are some symptoms that you can look out for:
-
Unexplained hoarseness or
graveliness (especially in the lower part of your range)
-
Burning or raw sensation
all the time or especially any time you sing, even if it's in your
comfortable range, at a low or moderate volume level
-
Sore throat without the
presence of an obvious infection (i.e. cold, strep throat, etc.)
-
You feel the need to clear
your throat excessively because -
-
You feel like you have a
lump in your throat much of the time
-
Ear pain, post-nasal drip,
bitter or sour taste in the mouth, bad breath - all indicating that
stomach acid may be washing clear up into your nasal pharynx (the
area behind your nose) and your eustachian tubes (the little tubes
that drain excess fluid from your ears into your throat) and your
mouth.
So, okay, you think you might have acid reflux, now
what do you do?!
My suggestion is to be on the safe side and go get
yourself checked out by your family physician or an ENT (ear, nose and
throat specialist). He or she may suggest either a common anti-acid,
or one of the many acid blocking drugs available over-the-counter. If
your doctor suspects that your problem is more severe and may require
extra measures, then he or she may write you a prescription for a stronger
acid blocking drug. Your doctor may also order further testing to determine
how bad your condition is, if it is indeed acid reflux (some of the
above mentioned symptoms are also associated with more serious conditions),
and the extent of the damage done.
My final advice to all singers is: don't take this
lightly, it's very serious and can be debilitating!! If you are serious
about your voice and you do a lot of singing, whether it's your main
source of income, or if you're a weekend warrior - remember, you only
have one voice!! If it gets ruined you can't go to your local music
store and buy a new one, so you'd better take good care of the one you
have!!
Thanks for listening - now go out and show 'em what
you're made of!!
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