http://themodernvocalist.punbb-hosting.com/viewtopic.php?id=5357
I seem to have a really big problem with mucous and phlegm, that gets worse the more I sing. There seems to be mucous in both my nose, throat, and lungs. How do you get rid of this without meds?
>>>
This doesn’t sound like the major contributor is allergies, as allergies generally produce a liquidy drainage, not heavy phelgm or mucus. Allergies also produces sneezing and red eyes, so to self-diagnose it, look for other symptoms.
This does sound like acid reflux and/or improper technique that blows too much air into the nasal cavity.
To diagnose acid reflux, try any Over The Counter omeprazele med, such as zegerid or nexium for 4 weeks (preferably at double dosage–which is what doctors prescribe–and I recommend you ask a physician first) and see if your symptoms vastly improve.
To treat acid reflux, first incline your bed 6 inches at top; then even higher, if you can tolerate it. This will stop nighttime acid reflux.
Acid reflux doesn’t reach your nasal cavity, unless– 1. stomach liquid can reach up to nasal cavity (which is unlikely, if you’re standing) 2. huge amounts of acidic fumes reach the nasal cavity (which is possible with improper singing technique and/or bad posture).
Whether you have huge amounts of acid reflux fumes or not, if a singer uses improper singing technique such that air is blown into nasal cavity regularly, symptoms such as you describe will result.
To treat: 1. resolve singing technique 2. fix posture 3. incline bed, if acid reflux.
Singing and posture--see Categories, About, Launch 4-2014 
November 1, 2012 at 2:57 am |
http://themodernvocalist.punbb-hosting.com/viewtopic.php?id=5357
Gravity takes its toll on uptraveling acid reflux. If one’s posture is upright and regurgitates, it is possible that acid reflux can make it up to the vocal folds. When such though, the symptom is frequently, but not necessarily pain, but an acidic taste or smell.
But, unless one is lying down, it is very difficult for acid reflux to travel up to the nasal cavity. Hence, excessive nasal mucus possibly from acid reflux while singing can only be from fumes.
As for how I know… I worked closely with a group of world renown gastroenterologists in the Texas Medical Center, and when I had a similar question as Lord Adon, I asked one; while explaining that my mucus occurred during singing. He explained– blowing air into the nasal cavity, a common singers’ issue he’s seen.
And it makes sense…. if one is sending excessive air into the nasal cavity, the pH, chemicals conditions, and moisture would be different from what the nasal cavity normally handles, so the nasal cavity reacts with a protective fluid–mucus.
Incidentally, the mouth also reacts to acidic changes by producing more saliva, so one symptom of acid reflux is a lot of saliva. Singers want to send sound waves, not necessarily more air, into the nasal cavity. One can swallow a lot of air and send excess gastric gas to nasal cavity.
You’re right nexium is currently not an OTC http://www.news-medical.net/news/201208 … EXIUM.aspx . In general though, the active ingredient in most Proton Pump Inhibitors is omeprozale, so most OTC PPIs will act similarly.
It is when one is lying down or bent over that acid reflux can often cause the most damage–because acidic gastric juices travel in large quantities immediately up the esophagus. The esophageal lining gradually erode, and that’s when pain is felt. So, one of the better remedies for acid reflux is an incline bed and a second is don’t bend one’s upper chest more than 90 degrees.
Lastly, as someone who has had and have acid reflux, I suggest one looks at this from the point of view of the entire esophageal and nasal-pharynx muscular lining, instead of vocal cords. When the tissues surrounding the vocal cords are weakened, the entire voice sounds vastly different. We should be talking about the vocal apparatus instead of vocal cords.