Well Tuned: Maintenance of the Professional Voice: Part 1 of 2

Ms. Surkin concurs. Be sensitive to your own voice and if you notice anything unusual, go on complete vocal rest. If there is no improvement after a few days, you need to see an otolaryngologist.

When to See a Doctor

Good preventive measures that rely on self-care can reduce injuries, but certain signs and symptoms may indicate the need to see a doctor. Perhaps the most predominant symptom that warrants a call to the doctor is persistent hoarseness. Hoarseness and fatigue that usually follow a performance can be self-treated with rest and good hydration, but if they last for any length of time they should be checked out. Both Dr. Sataloff and Dr. Jahn recommend seeing a medical or voice professional if hoarseness persists for longer than two days or a week, respectively. Ms. Surkin recommends seeing an otolaryngologist to be scoped if symptoms don’t get better in a couple of days. I recommend an ENT whose patients include a majority of professional singers. I have found that they have a keener eye, she said.

In summary, care of the professional voice is a growing area of specialty within otolaryngology clinics. A good understanding of the common problems that affect professional voice users, along with the external and internal causes of these problems, is critical to otolaryngologists, speech pathologists, and voice coaches, who often collaborate to help professional voice users maintain good voice quality.

Reference

1. Rosemary Clooney: Girl Singer. Twin Cities Public Television, March 22 and 25, 2007.

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©2007 The Triological Society