Allergy Season for Singers
It is that time of year: the robins are singing, the crocuses are pushing through the grass, my eyes are watering, and I just can’t stop sneezing. Spring allergies are here, my friends, whether or not Michigan weather has finally decided to accept the season. How do these itches and scratches affect our voices? If you sing with any regularity, I’m sure you’ve noticed things become more difficult but why, and what can we do to help?
Everybody’s physical response to allergens is different, but one thing that is extremely common is for the tissues of our entire vocal tract (larynx, mouth, and even the inside of the nose) to become swollen, red, and covered in mucous. Because so many of us rely on how singing feels this swelling makes it very difficult to manage our voices. Some of us may have enough swelling on the vocal folds to cause a hoarseness that could be bad enough that we lose our voice completely at times. Our resonance is also affected by the swelling of these tissues: think like you’ve added curtains and carpet to a big echoing room: bye-bye echo!
As you attempt to sing through these conditions, your body will likely produce more phlegm to coat the tissues and “protect” them from the allergen. Know that singing on swollen vocal folds is tricky business. You must use care and caution because your folds are vulnerable and you must not attempt to compensate for the less than desired sound by straining. At best, this will trap you in a never-ending cycle of phlegm creation, and at worst you could seriously injure your voice.
So how can you keep singing? It’s not entirely feasible to stop singing half of the year because of a bit of pollen. Firstly, if you have not yet done so, get a good allergist to evaluate your condition. Request that an intradermal test be done, if possible, because many allergists will simply perform a scratch test and by itself this can miss up to 10% of allergens are are not as accurate as intradermal tests.* If you suspect specific allergens, request that these be tested (e.g. foods, grasses, dust, animal dander). Many allergies are hereditary, so if you know your family’s allergies and symptoms that will be a helpful guide.
The allergist can lead you to an effective treatment, but remember to disclose that you are a singer and need to avoid medications that are drying. Many allergy medications can be dehydrating, and dehydration can lead you down an opposing path with similar end results.
If you know that your allergies include grass, dust, pollen, and molds, then you might consider wearing a pollen mask when performing activities where you would encounter these common allergens: mowing grass, house cleaning, changing any kind of air filters. Be sure to change your air filters monthly, and to use a humidifier during the dry winter months.
During a period of allergic reaction, you can also sleep with the head of your bed raised (or propped up with a pillow or wedge) to improve the flow of sinus drainage. If the mucous is allowed to pool in the large sinus and back of the throat, as it would when lying flat, you are priming yourself for a sinus infection.
When sneezing, avoid hard vocalizations by putting the tension of the sneeze into a non-voiced “ch” sound against the front teeth.
Drink warm water or herbal tea with lemon. The lemon’s acidity with thin out thick mucous. You can also ask your laryngologist to prescribe you a mucolytic or purchase the expectorant guaifenesin (Mucinex) over the counter.
If further action is needed, singers should opt for allergy shots and topical steroid sprays rather than inhales and antihistamines, as inhalers irritate the vocal folds and antihistamines dry out the vocal tract.
*Source: Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
*Source: The Owner’s Manual to the Voice: A Guide For Singers & Other Professional Voice Users by Rachel Gates, L. Arick Forrest, and Kerrie Obert (pg. 58-60)