A Guide to Singing with Seasonal Allergies
Vocal Health Series
Savanna Leigh, New Roots Artist
Is it a cold? No. Is it COVID? Nope! It’s just your allergies telling you that Spring has officially sprung! 🤧
Allergy symptoms can very easily change the quality of your voice and make it difficult to sing normally. BUT, WE CAN FIX THIS!
Sounding like YOU is important! And, we need to keep it that way. I’m here to help — I want to share with you some of my go-to tricks for combating allergy symptoms.
*Disclaimer — This is not medical advice, but merely suggestions from the personal experience of a pro vocal coach with 15 years of professional singing experience.
Let’s start by talking about what makes for a HEALTHY voice…
A HEALTHY voice produces a clear, even tone, that easily projects throughout all parts of the vocal range. Healthy voices are: hydrated, free of vocal strain, clear, and flexible.
Signs that your voice may not be at its healthiest:
Parts of your range are difficult to sing
Inconsistencies (breaks/cracks) in speech or singing voice
Voice is lower/more raspy than usual
Sound is “stuffy” or muted
Things that may contribute to an unhealthy voice:
Dehydration
Loud spaces
Overuse
Coughing from cold, allergies, etc.
Acid Reflux — (especially eating late at night after a gig!)
Overall Goal for Minimizing Allergy Symptoms:
Our goal is to alleviate symptoms of dryness and inflammation, to remain as true to our natural voice as possible. Dryness and inflammation are usually caused by a combination of: a histamine response (causes inflammation), dehydration, overuse, medication, and excessive muscular tension.
10 Tips for Tackling Allergies
Stay Hydrated!
Carry a water bottle! — This is one of our favorite water bottles from Amazon. It is a beautiful rose gold color, and includes a strainer in case you want to mix things up and infuse your water with fruit!
Liquid IV — This is an amazing electrolyte supplement that gets you hydrated more quickly and efficiently. You can use this link to receive 25% off your next order, compliments of our co-founder, Sheridan!
Humidify
Car humidifier! — This is one of my go-to’s for traveling. A car humidifier is really useful on long road trips between gigs as it helps your voice stay hydrated. (It’s also GREAT for when you drive with the heat on during the winter!)
Steam
Use a Steamer! — I have used this Conair steamer for years. Steaming is one of the classic ways to help relax the muscles in the face and moisturize the throat and larynx. ADDED BONUS — it comes with a Facial Cleansing brush!
Saline Nebulizer
VocalMist! — The VocalMist is one of my favorite devices to help combat symptoms from colds, allergies, or dryness. The saline mist helps hydrate your folds from the outside-in and loosens any mucus build up. This is not a medicated product, so you can use it time and time again without worries. VocalMist is portable, rechargeable, and a MUST HAVE for any professional voice user.
Educate if you Medicate
Some medications dry out your voice. Dryness + Allergies = recipe for disaster. Use this comprehensive list to look up any medications you take to see if they affect your voice. If you encounter a medication that dries out your voice (antihistamines and decongestants), be sure to supplement with LOTS of water.
Wash Those Hands
By now, we should all be more aware of our hand-washing. Frequent washing can prevent cold and flu-like symptoms. It can also mitigate the risk of transferring allergens to your face, nose, or eyes.
Get your Best Sleep
Check out this FREE SLEEP APP! — The Sleep Cycle Smart Alarm Clock helps to interpret your sleep every night. The beauty of this app is that it analyzes your sleep schedule and wakes you up during your lightest sleep phase, helping to ensure you are refreshed and revitalized!
Self Massage
Laryngeal Massage — A Laryngeal Massage, whether it’s done professionally, with a partner, or simply by yourself, can have an enormous impact on your voice. Stress and muscular tension can exacerbate allergy symptoms and prevent you from accessing the full quality of your voice.
Lymphatic Drainage Massage — This type of massage is useful for when you have a build up of congestion and/or fullness in your lymph nodes. The Lymphatic Drainage Massage is used to help relieve symptoms of swelling or build up around the face and neck.
Limit Time Spent in Loud Environments
Attend Loud Events in Moderation — we tend to speak loudly and overuse our voice in noisy environments, such as loud bars, restaurants, and concerts. This can cause increased swelling and inflammation in the voice, therefore making it more difficult to produce a clear tone. Combine this with allergy symptoms, and you have a recipe for a tired, weak sounding voice!
Rest Your Voice
Speak at a low volume — Contrary to what you might think, whispering is more tiring for your voice than light, supported talking with a clear tone. If you are noticing your voice getting tired, increase your water intake and decrease your speaking and singing volume. REST frequently!
* New Roots may receive affiliation benefits from some of the links listed above *
Thanks for making it this far! I hope this information helps you stay healthy and singing at the top of your game. :)
Take a moment to give yourself major props for investing in YOURSELF and your career. Adjusting your mindset is the first step!
If you’re a female artist in the music industry and would like to continue to advance your career, be sure to apply for our next New Roots Weekend! Applications are free.
Click the link below to apply…
Warmly,
Mark