[HANASHIR:5888] Re: Laryngitis

[Joel Siegel <siegeljd...>]

Roslyn Schwartz wrote:

> Quick answer:  No.  The more you rest your voice (e.g. stop speaking
> altogether) the quicker it will return.  Even whispering strains the
> voice - some say even more than normal speaking.

I'd say *definitely* don't whisper.  It can't help but strain the vocal cords.
For the cords to work properly they have to come together firmly and solidly.
Think of blowing air between two blades of grass.  Vocalists (and their 
teachers)
work hard to get that to happen.  The "breathy" sound so many popular singers 
try
to achieve usually winds them up in surgery for vocal nodes because it requires
the vocalist to *not* bring the cords together firmly.

Whispering is essentially the same phenomenon.  You have to bring your cords
together a tiny bit, otherwise there'd be no sound.  (If your larynx is fully
relaxed you're just breathing out.  Try it.... you'll see you can no longer
whisper.)

Either procedure irritates the vocal cords and over time can damage them.  So
yes, whispering makes a bad situation worse.


>(b)  If this goes on much longer, you might end up needing an ENT
>(ear/nose/throat) assessment to look at the vocal cords & see if
>anything more needs to be done.  Ordinary viruses usually clear within a
>week or two, though it can take longer if you used your voice during the
>recovery period.  Depending how long it takes to get in to see your
>doctor, you might want to book an appt now, which you can always cancel
>if the problem clears up in the next few days.


You might also want to find a competent voice coach or speech therapist.  A
doctor or another vocalist in the area could recommend one if you need a lead.


Joel

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