Acid Reflux and the Voice – Solutions without Meds!

**Vocal fatigue when speaking on the phone or in a loud environment; Frequent need of clearing the throat; Hoarseness after moderate singing sessions.   These are a few common symptoms of acid reflux.   The type of acid reflux that affects singers and speakers most is “Laryngeal Reflux”, where the stomach acid is actually going inside the larynx and coming into contact with the vocal folds.   I have learned a lot about this over the past several years because I suffered from it myself.   It went undiagnosed for 0ver a year.  I was teaching 20 lessons a week, and I thought I was doing something wrong with my voice.  I had all of the symptoms listed above, and worried that it was my vocal technique and/or overuse.   The first doctor I saw about it said I was fine.   Another several months later I went to another Ear, Nose and Throat doctor who found a tell-tale sign of acid reflux on my vocal cords, a discolored bar shaped impression.   Yikes.  He prescribed Aciphex and recommended I have a check up by a Gastroenterologist to make sure there was nothing serious going on in my stomach.  Nothing serious was found, just a slightly weak ‘valve’ which allows the acid to come up more than desired, especially in the middle of the night.   Important: I did not feel heartburn during the day, or nighttime.   Heartburn is not necessarily an indicator for Laryngeal Acid Reflux.   So..The Aciphex worked, it really did.  It was like a miracle.  My voice felt brand new.   The only 3 problems were:   1 ) It was not covered by my insurance, and was extremely expensive.  2)  It was a pharmaceutical solution which only addressed the symptoms.   3) There were side effects.   I started doing research and found the following natural remedies to have basically cured my reflux.   I do continue some of these practices, so I can’t say whether or not I am officially ‘cured’.   Improved digestion is one of the keys.   Probiotics have helped me and some of my students tremendously.  I use “Natren Megadopholis” powder daily, which dissolves in water.   Other natural items which help reflux are:

Melatonin – Yep, the sleep enzyme.

Vitamin B-12

Quercetin

Folic Acid

Turmeric – Yep, the spice.

Digestive Enzymes

All of these remedies can be found at Whole Foods.   What I have found to be a miracle supplement for my voice is “Aller-Response” made by BioAlign.   It contains, Turmeric, Quercetin (both great for Reflux) and several other herbs and vitamins which are great for the respiratory system.  I recommend trying different combinations and dosages of the above to see what works best.  My winning combo is Aller-Response (Whole Foods) – 2 Capsules Daily and a half teaspoon of Natren Megadopholis Probiotic powder daily.  That’s it.  Cost = Approximately $25/month.

Now…it wont’ be quite as easy as popping some supplements for everyone.   Diet does play a factor.  From my experience, it’s not so much about avoiding Indian food.  It’s about avoiding:  COFFEE.   And some BLACK TEAS.  I am sensitive, but I can tell you that a cup of Starbucks will affect my voice negatively for about a day.  But wait……there may be help!   I have tried Fresh Organic Coffee recently, and I THINK it is significantly less acidic – and of course significantly more expensive.  But it’s sure worth the money and trouble to get your VOICE back to normal!

Please let me know how it goes!!

David

http://www.voicelosangeles.com

**This is written from personal experience and research.  I am not a doctor.

Breath Support in Singing

Proper Breath Support is one of the keys to strong and healthy singing.   Many conductors, coaches and directors are great at saying “needs more support!”, but what does that really mean?  And is “more” always a good thing?  Basically, Breath Support  is the relationship between Airflow and Air Pressure, and the proper closure of the vocal cords.   Picture a balloon.  Imagine it is very full and tight, and you are holding the valve closed with your thumb and finger.  Now release the valve quickly; the balloon fizzles out quickly, so there is a rapid decrease in air pressure and the valve is ‘open’.  If you were to sing our speak like this, it would sound like a breathy sigh, and you would run out of breath immediately.  (The valve is your vocal cords)  Let’s look at the opposite:  Tight balloon, and you let out an extremely gradual flow of air out the valve.   A friend pushes the balloon inward on the sides keeping it taut (high air pressure) while the balloon exhales.  In this scenario, the system is too pressurized and the singing would sound tight and the vocal cords would be too pressed together.  This would feel like taking a big breath, then holding your breath and then as you are ‘holding your breath’ you let out a tight-feeling ‘ssssss’.   Now, although this is too tight, it does a better job at describing the main ideas of breath support than the breathy sigh version above.   All we have to do now is reduce the pressure a little bit; in the case of the balloon, let a little more air flow through the valve.   In the case of the ‘sssss’ exercise, we just need a slightly smaller inhale, and a less tight ‘sssssss’.   Now we are using the ‘sssss’ to simulate the valve, and we are coordinating a smooth airflow with just the right amount of air pressure for a solid, but not too tight ‘sss’ sound.   With practice and the right exercises, you can achieve the same ‘valve control’ with your vocal cords so that you can spontaneously adjust the pressure and flow of air to the constantly changing demands of your vocal lines.  

Voice Lessons and Underwater Singing

Singing lessons and consistent voice training are key ingredients in vocal health and success.   But without solid cardiovascular health, your voice lessons won’t pay off as much as possible.  Optimal cardiovascular function is key to efficient, powerful and lovely singing.   Swimming is a great choice for increasing lung capacity, blood flow and energy.   Try 15 -30 minutes of laps 3-4 times a week, and you will see an improvement in your singing and your overall health!!   No, you don’t have to sing underwater.  For more information about voice lessons (Live or Web Cam), you can contact me at David Babich Music Studio