Why do I cough when I sing?

Subject: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 11:28 AM

I searched the database and found nothing about singing causing a phlegmy cough.

This just started after the cold I had over Christmas. Can't seem to shake it. Can't even get through one song before I lose my voice and start coughing like crazy. Actually it is only when I belt songs. I am ok if I sing softly. But that is not my style. I like to wail!

I don't have a cough otherwise. Only a bit of cattarrh at night (from 3 to 5 times) which clears as soon as I get up, drink water and go for short walkies around the flat.

I make it a point to take lots of fluid during the day, because I have secondary sjogren's syndrome.

Any suggestions how I can beat this? Something I can do prior to singing to prevent it.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 12:21 PM

I'm guesing, but it sounds like your throat is drying out from the rapid movement of air through it. Happens to me sometimes. You could try drinking something that will stick better than water,m such as fruit juice or milk alcohol is really NOT good for your singing bits -- sorry!) You could have a look at the sort of techniques they use for avoiding nodules, as these should help you get the volume without the force. (Or you could try The Force -- did you put "Jedi" on your census form?)

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 12:22 PM

Whoops -- ignore that facetious bit at the end!

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: olddude
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 12:27 PM

My throat gets dry also, I have the same thing, I drink a lot of water before singing sometime I will take a cough drop ... then it doesn't happen at all.   I think it really is the sinus and dry throat thing that does it

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Alice
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 12:29 PM

Hi, VT, belting is hard on the voice. You are probably just still healing up from the cold you had, so if you take it easy and don't stress the vocal cords, you will probably heal up faster.

Vocal Health
tips for singers
click Vocal Health


Alice

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: bubblyrat
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 12:35 PM

Interesting word,"Facetious"....the vowels occur in the right order (aeiou) ; "Abstemious" is another example.Horrid word !
             Anyway,I don't think that oral airflow is a causal factor - I play harmonica / mouth organ a lot,and I salivate like MAD,often having to have a quick pause to swallow. I think that "Dry Mouth" is often due to "nerves", even if one is not conscious of actually feeling nervous . It happens to me,anyway. Cider helps ,luckily !

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: BobKnight
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 12:46 PM

Don't drink anything cold when singing, or any drink with gas - burping isn't required in most songs. Drinks should be room temperature - still water is best.

Dust - hoover your bed when you're changing the sheets - amazing how much dust accumulates there.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 01:06 PM

I rarely drink any alcohol. Water is my beverage of choice. About 12 to 14 glasses over 24 hour period.

Thanks Alice.. Interesting stuff. From now on when I am practising instruments, I will just mouth the words and give the voice a rest.

I am going to look into warming up and breathing exercises to. And how to project without hollering.

Think I will try hot water with lemon and honey about and hour before performance time.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Marje
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 01:38 PM

If you like ginger, try adding this to your concoction in some form (grated root ginger is best). It's very good for hoarseness and tickly throats.Even a herbal tea-bag with ginger in the mix can be very soothing - that's my quick fix if I'm coughing at night time.

But I've had this happen after a cold sometimes too. Some colds don't affect my voice at all, while others can leave me unable to sing more than a few lines before starting to cough or wheeze, even though I'm otherwsie quite well. You may just have to be patient and take things easy for a little longer.

Marje

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Janie
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 02:00 PM

I have a similar problem VT, that began to happen after I had colds. The last couple of years, lasted longer after each cold, and has not gone away now since a cold I have a year ago this month. Mine isn't a cough so much as when I go for the upper part of my range, my voice breaks and rasps - with no warning. Clear my throat, and maybe I can sing that note, or maybe I'll have to clear my throat again. It is like there might be something that a little phlem is getting caught or hung up on that doesn't come into play except when the vocal cords are tightened for a higher note. It's embarrassing, and I am finding myself afraid to sing harmonies or anything that takes me into the upper half of my range when singing around others. I think I have an idea of what a adolescent boy whose voice is changing might feel like!

I've wondered recently if staying better hydrated might help. Will follow ideas and suggestions here closely.

btw, it is also not good to drink milk before singing.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: BobKnight
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 02:48 PM

Forget about the lemon - honey is fine, but citric acid is bad for the voice.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: SussexCarole
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 03:00 PM

Avoid any artificial sweeetners - they can really dry out your throat

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: GUEST,mauvepink
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 03:06 PM

I have a chronic sinus problem which means my voice will never go where I want it to be. Generally I manage okay unless I am singing hymns. For some reason there is something in a lot of hymns that set off my coughing and tickly throat. A certain pitch I obviously never read when singing folk songs. It's quite odd

My ENT specialist said I should stay clear of coffee as it dries you out a lot.

Hydration seems to be the best advise and help. Water does help a lot I have found.

mp

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Don Firth
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 03:06 PM

Water. Drink lots and lots of water. Not just right before you sing, but in general. The recommended eight eight-ounce glasses a day (two quarts) at least, and perhaps a bit more.

I've been having a similar problem lately:   get a couple of verses into a song and my throat starts to tickle and I begin coughing. I went to my otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat) a few weeks ago for an ear infection, and while I was there I asked him to take a look at my vocal folds. He told me that everything was ship-shape--no nodes or anything, but that things looked a bit dehydrated down there. Drink more water, he tells me.

It doesn't do that much good to drink a glass or two before you sing. What you have to do is hydrate your whole body. 8 eight-ounce glasses a day at least. It's not just good for your voice, it's good for your general health.

Been doing that for a couple of weeks and the tickle and cough seems to have pretty well cleared up.

You wind up having to pee more often, though.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: GUEST,STAN
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 03:37 PM

Hi

I've had this trouble for years & now have it beaten. It sounds like an old wives tale, but a half a teaspoon of Manuka Honey (factor 15)swallowed slowly soas it lines your throat, just before you go to bed seems to do the trick. It is supposed to be an antiseptic, so i recon any throat damage caused by pushing your voice is checked over night. I also take a drop just after a gig or rehearsal.

I also tend to start off rehearing numbers a couple of notes lower than the correct (My normal) key for the first hour or so as i find warm up exercises a bit of a pain. (Lazy or what)

Hope this works for you.

P. S. Manuka honey isn't cheap at about £10 a jar, but for me it's more than worth every penny.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: gnu
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 04:03 PM

Get thee to an ENT.... as did I, Kendall, Tom, Mike... and a number of other Mudcatters. You don't have to be a smoker, drinker, whatever. DO IT! NOW!

Hint... tell you GP you felt sommat in your throat and coughed blood... they get on the case faster.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: foggers
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 05:46 PM

Given that you recently had a cold, and keep yourself very well hyrdrated all the time, I second Alice when she suggests that your throat is still sensitive because it is still on the mend.

My voice is my numero uno instrument AND i rely on it for work too (I teach) so I need to maintain it. A lot of my voice care routine has been covered in the posts so far:

1) Keep household dust under control especially in sleeping areas
2) keep well hydrated all the time (room temp still water)
3) Warm voice up slowly for rehearsals and gigs
4) Teaspoon of honey (manuka is certainly best) at night
5) Rest the voice regularly
6) keep alcohol to a restricted number of nights of the week rather than a daily treat.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: s&r
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 05:55 PM

Singing doesn't cause a phlegmy cough - phlegm does. If there's static phlegm in your air passages, then you're loosening and bringing up the phlegm by the exercise of singing.

Try a mild expectorant to help until your cold has completely gone.

Stu

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 06:01 PM

I am not an alcohol drinker except on rare occasions. Glass of champagne at Christmas. Glass of red wine when visiting the parents in law. Half pint of ale at some folk sessions.

Do drink lots of water, more than 64 ounces easily. And yeah, it means I make frequent bathroom visits. Ginger is a no go. Tears my tummy up something fierce.

On occasion my throat feels like I've swallowed shards of glass.   Usually after I have my head tilted down chin to chest for too long. Happens when I fall asleep watching telly.

I also have under active thyroid which sometimes makes my throat feel tight or full or both.

I think I really need to practice more often but a little at a time and put much less umph into it.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Artful Codger
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 09:06 PM

Is a mild expectorant like "shoot" and "darn"?

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: gnu
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 09:12 PM

VT... you sing. Imagine my astonishment when I was told that "repetitive strain injury" can cause vocal cord cancer, especially if you smoke, drink (especially beer), drink tea or coffee...

Seriously... just singing... repetative strain injury...

See a pro.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Don Firth
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 09:21 PM

"See a pro."

Very good advice. Even if you don't sing, don't mess with vocal problems. Find out what's going on, even if just to put your mind at ease.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 10:53 PM

Ever sine Alice told me about it, I keep a small spray bottle of Entertainer's Secret handy. It works really well when I get a dry, scratchy throat and/or cough. (It's usually due to medication side effects.) I told Rog about it and now they can't keep it in stock at the TV station because all of the reporters have taken to it. None of them had heard about it, so thanks to you, Alice, again!

kat

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 06:18 PM

I cough when I have sexual intercourse is there a cure?will manuka honey help?

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Don Firth
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 06:50 PM

Umm . . . if you vocalize a lot as you're "doing it," it probably would help. . . .

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Amergin
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 07:12 PM

Do you make gollum noises when you sing about something precious?

But yeah over Christmas I had a bad cold...and after it cleared up would start to cough when I would sing...but it has seemed to clear up now...not that my singing voice was all that good to begin with....but I like doing it...it keeps the neighbours away.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 09:17 AM

Inform yourself about post-nasal drip. It's a good thing to know about.

(It may be that singing opens up passages in your head, allowing the drip to get into your lungs, which naturally cough to get rid of it.)

However, I believe that this is not the time for self-medication. You had the cold at Christmas. It is now mid-February. Therefore, you have been sick or sickly for six weeks. You need to make sure that a colony of bacteria has not set up shop in your ears or sinuses and is getting ready to wreak long-term hell.

(The infections which follow a cold are usually bacterial.)

It may take antibiotics plus decongestants to get at the little bastards.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: GUEST,LB
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 09:22 AM

You have Sjogrens, so not only do you need adequate water but control of your inflammation and SALT AND POTASSIUM balanced. Normal H2O intake is half an ounce per pound of body weight. Up it 10-25% but unless you are running a fever, overdoing water will just make you void nutrients more which is a risk with autoimmune conditions. If you aren't already, take evoxac or pilocarpine (salagen). Those will help stimulate moisture to protect your GI tract, particularly your mouth and throat that are your first line of defense and also where vulnerability=catching bugs more often and slow recovery. Mucinex is quite a godsend for sjogrens-- if you have joint issues it can even alleviate them if you max out and have less-than-ideal joint linings (synovial lining-the cushioning for elbows, knees, wrists)... No caffeine and avoid herbal stuff as the immune system is already hyper-responding and attacking healthy stuff when autoimmune disorders are present...

I have entertainer's secret for when I lecture long hours. Milk (cattle milk, not soy/rice called milks which obviously are not from mammary glands!) is great for protecting your throat in general but not right before singing as it can make your saliva thick... I go to Asian markets and get this Foco brand of aloe chunks that are in a fluid that tastes like grape Kool aid. They help a lot and don't have weird risks like foreign honeys (stick to local honey, always). Chicken STOCK (most broth has MSG in it, concealed under named like yeast extract or vegetable protein--they forget to mention that they are getting the MSG from the extract). Swanson sells odd octagonal boxes of stock:priceless as ppl forget you need SALT to keep water IN your body... Not a ton but sjogrens poses an added malnourishment risk because of our overdoing it attempts and often digestive inflamation making absorption of some nutrients poor.

Hope that helps. Feel better soon.

Nerdfighterly yours,LB

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 10:05 AM

Well, I was singing fine in car drive to Stratford u Avon yesterday and again at the parents in-law's last night. No problems belting songs with Nina Simone in car drive home today.

I think perhaps it is more performance issue than I wanted to believe. Hysterical laryngitis maybe. Anyway, now I will monitor the voice in different situations and make concious effort to treat it with care. If things remain bad or get worse, I will make appointment with GP.

BTW... since the Sjogren's is secondary to rheumatoid arthritis (which according to RH factor tests in November is in bit of remission), my NHS RA consultant and RA nurse are not interested in treating it or giving any advice. They just say it is to be expected.

That salagen looks like the side effects are much worse that what it is meant to treat.

p.s. I make my own chicken stock and no salt or msg goes into it. Just garlic, onions, celery and Kroger salt free Zesty Blend. Completely deleting caffiene will be a wrench. I do love coffee an normally have at least 2 cups a day. Maybe one decaf coffee in afternoon will satisfy me. Will try it.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: MikeL2
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 02:59 PM

Hi VT

A lot of good advice here.

Like you I have had a cold and although the main symptoms cleared after a couple of weeks I too am left with a cough but only when I sing.

I inhaled steam twice a day and sometimes I put in a couple of drops of Olbas Oil.

It cleared it after about a week.

It's worth a try.

regards

MikeL2

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 05:57 PM

Hydrating by drinking a lot of liquids may not be sufficient to hydrate your breathing circuits, especially in winter when heating drops the relative humidity to near zero, and also for a time after a cold, flu, or other disruption. If the mucous in your bronchial passages drys and hardens faster than it's removed, no amount of whole-body hydration will be able to keep it clear.

A vaporizer that allows inhalation of moist (preferably cool) air, used for a few hours per day, might be a useful aid to keeping the "air side" of the nasal/bronchial passages moist enough for the normal processes remove any excess, and to permit the whole-body hydration to be effective.

Coughing can be caused by congestion or irritation in the bronchial airways, but can also be caused by irritation in the esophagus. A common cause is excess acid, and coughing can result even without significant amounts of the commonly identified "acid reflux."

Especially after, and during recovery from, a cold or flu, your digestion may be somewhat "off kilter" so that you're producing somewhat more acid than normal. You don't have to have "heartburn" to be experiencing enough excess acid to cause coughing.

While there are numerous "acid reducers" available, most of the more effective ones come with lots of "side effect" baggage, and multiple interactions with other therapies, so consulting a medical advisor would be indicated before using the effective ones (the few from among those most advertised). Older, and more simple, "neutralizers" commonly produce "acid rebound" that can make the situation worse, rather than better.

Suppression of the immune system, as is a side effect of most steroids or "steroid like" drugs used to reduce inflamation, can cause cellular retention of fluids (generically called edema) as a side effect or after-effect in some people. The effect can be sufficient to mimic "congestive heart failure" in the extreme, but in a mild reaction can make one prone to "esophageal spasms" that produce caughing, especially when any part of the chest region is "stressed" as by singing. Illogically, perhaps, it generally is advisable to increase liquid (water) intake when taking diuretics. (The purpose of the diuretic is to get rid of "cruddy fluid retained where it shouldn't be" but what's removed must be replaced with fresh stuff where it's needed and increased kidney function while the crud is removed must be maintained.)

Many people who use breathing apparatus such as positive pressure breathing assists (CPAP) for sleep apnea or oxygen for more general breathing assistance suffer a lot from "dry air," quite similar to what "normal people" might experience to lesser degree in low-humidity heated indoor winter air. There are a number of "nasal ointments" or "nasal gels" that can provide quite effective relief. One recommended locally is called "Ayr" and is essentially a very concentrated aloe extract. I don't know how widely available it is (the manufacturer is local), but a pharmacist probably could recommend it, or whatever's most used in your area. Your best consultant likely would be a pharmacist associated with a "medical appliance" provider. (Not all pharmacies dispense the hardware associated with the most common use of these. and not all hardware providers have on-staff pharmacists.)

John

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Liz Randall
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 06:14 PM

When do you cough? Is it when you are high in your register? Or when you are in a particularly loud bit? Putting too much air through or strain on the vocal folds can cause them to split apart and that will make you cough. I agree with the person who said - see a vocal coach or tutor before you do serious damage. And keep drinking the water - preferably through the day, not just when you're singing. It's a bit late then.
Liz

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: GUEST,LB
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 07:20 PM

If you want your caffeine and aren't too much of a purist ie straight coffee, one compromise you can make is Bolthouse Farms Hazelnut Latte or Mochaccino; they have only coffee, milk, juice (sweetened this way and it sounds weird but you can't taste fruit), whey protein--which helps your body cope with the caffeine and its inevitable GI ailments--and either cocoa or roasted hazelnut along with vanilla bean... It is the best balance available widely (USA at least). No personal experience with Salagen, but aside from having to pee a little more the first few days and actually having sweat (I take Tylenol along with it since my sweat is caused by a low grade fever with the RA and such)... I've had no bad reaction to evoxac. Plaquenil--derived from natural quinine but without the safety concerns-- is quite common for treating combined RA and Sjogren's. Trust your symptoms re: remission. Blood work proves more and more unreliable in assessing autoimmune symptoms...not saying be paranoid, but track things to know your overall feel... And there are also tablets/lozenges that are slow to break down to relieve oral discomfort (here they are on the top shelf of the toothpaste aisle in drug stores)... Hopefully you'll keep feeling better. Be gentle and remember your throat doesn't have the same healthy tissue it did before so you have to treat it carefully so you don't do further damage (secondary is a load of ... If you have it, ignoring it is not wise on their part-- if I had cancer secondary to a lung infection --both equally important to treat as are RA and Sjogrens--you get the picture)... Take care!

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 08:45 PM

I also have Sjogren's and am a singer. One possibility for why you're coughing is because of the dry mouth that results from Sjogren's. Another possibility (the reason why I cough when I sing) is you could have nodules on your vocal cords. I have rheumatoid nodules on my vocal cords (though I have not officially been diagnosed with RA). Something you might want to have checked out, if it's really getting in your way.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 08:38 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sjogren%27s

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 09:47 AM

Yeah I definitely do have sjogrens as I have to have specialist dental care now. In the last month my gums have receded markedly. I have special tooth paste and mouth gel

The catarrh is terrible. All day and night (I wake about 5 or 6 times a night to clear it). I see rheumatology nurse again in February. I will ask what we can do, but I suspect she will say that methotrexate I am taking for the arthritis is what is recommended for sjogrens. Damned annoying this is she has repeatedly said that my case is atypical but will not prescribe anything different. I haven't seen the consultant in nearly 2 years. Evidently the nurse does not think it warranted.

I am drinking loads of water and yes I think the dry heat is making things worse.

BUT - The singing was much better during the warmer weather. I have been singing more sensibly and not overdoing it. Also finding songs I don't have to belt out.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: kendall
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 02:20 PM

If it's phlegm it may be just left over from your cold. There must be an irritation in your lungs that causes development of the stuff.
As Gnu said, see an ENT.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: patriot1314
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 02:25 PM

When I cough I clear my throat and tell the audience that I'm going to do an old Flemish number!

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: The Sandman
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 03:18 PM

try taking ground ivy tincture it dries up mucus, so that mucus does not run down from sinuses to chest.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Joybell
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 05:39 PM

No! you don't want drying up. That's not what this syndrome is about.
The science behind this well-documented disease is the place to start.
Sjogren's syndrome is an auto immune disease affecting the moisture-producing cells of the body. Notably the cells in the salivary glands and the cells producing tears. (Sometimes other wide-spread areas in the body causing damage to any of the body's systems.)

The important point to note about Sjogren's syndrome is that the amount of fluid taken in has no affect on the symptoms. (For other reasons you need to drink when you're thirsty and keep yourself sensibly hydrated).

Topical, symptomatic solutions give some reief but are short-lived. SMALL sips of fluid frequently, sucked sweets (eye drops for sore, dry eyes.)
I'm a singer who has been living with this syndrome for a long time. It's good not to feel so alone so thank you Virginia for bring this up. Good luck.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 06:12 PM

Joy,
It's obvious to me that anyone with this problem has got a proverbial frog in their throat.

But that's only part of the problem...

Just hope like hell it doesn't turn into a handsome prince!!


It could just be good old-fashioned Post Nasal Drip.
I always thought that was a 'breakfast cereal'

But it's not. (It's snot.)


Love to you and Greg down under,
Art

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Joybell
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 07:39 PM

Hello Art. I have my handsome prince. He's 72 now but we both look OK as long as we view each other without our glasses. I'll keep kissing hime so he doesn't become a frog. Although -- I do like frogs.
Love back to you and Carol.
Joy

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 03:06 AM

Mine is defo sjogrens, because all the water in the world does not help much with dry eyes, mouth and sinuses. The biotene mouth gel is a boon for my mouth though.

I have eye drops but I am terrified of using them. I need to get an eye wash cup, because I will not put the nozzle of drops bottle near my eyes.

I wonder if it would be good (not to mention possible) to coat larynx with olive oil? And to make a nasal mist with water and olive oil?

Something that sticks.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Charmion
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 12:10 PM

The olive oil thing might work for your nose, but I doubt it would be a good idea in your larynx.

If you look at an anatomical drawing, you will see that the larynx is the last stop on the route into the trachea. Whatever gets into the trachea will eventually get into the lungs, and whatever gets into the larynx will get into the trachea. Gunk in the lungs is a great way to get a really vicious case of pneumonia. Consequently -- don't.

Actually, I think it would be impossible. The human body is carefully designed to prevent us from attempting stuff like that. You'd cough your guts up.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Joybell
Date: 03 Dec 10 - 02:09 AM

I've always had trouble with eye-drops too but by keeping at it you do get braver about them. My optometrist friend suggested that I squeeze my eye-lids together, several times, before I open my eyes in the morning. That helps to unstick your lids from your corneas. Before I learned to do that I would tear small pieces of cornea off and be in pain all day until they healed over.
I've learned to live with the burning tongue but the frequent cough is difficult to manage.
Isn't the immune system a wonderous thing as long as it functions correctly?
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 03 Dec 10 - 02:26 AM

Well... I am going to try something. I am going to take vitamin D, more than the RDA. I understand from this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq1t9WqOD-0

that it may help the immune system behave more normally.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: JHW
Date: 03 Dec 10 - 04:52 PM

I couldn't sing most of 2009 due to cough after a line or two or even if I talked a lot. Entertainers Secret made me cough when I sprayed it. Tried Manuka Honey, very expensive so how do you know if its genuine? Camera showed slightly inflamed chords/folds which had cured later in year but I never really knew why, ENT folks said acid reflux. Some blood pressure tablets can dry throat.

Best antidote I found was Thayers Slippery Elm Lozenges

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: GUEST,Nikhil
Date: 24 Feb 12 - 05:16 PM

I live in Poland and I also sing. I developed a cough in November which stayed for three months almost. It was cold outside, not good for healing the cough and staying indoors all the time also didn't help. I believe that your body needs to warm up and start it's natural healping process on the inside so it can go through the normal healthy way of clearing the cough itself. Why do I say this? Because I would cough everytime I started to sing a phrase and really, it was impossible to sing without that impending cough feeling in my throat and chest. It was just horrible and nightmarish. Until, I went to India for about 10 days. In India, with the warm weather, the cough disappeared on the first 2 days. The doctor who I saw said it was all in my mind because he saw nothing wrong with me, he ruled anything that could result in a cough. I suppose his reassurance that I am making the cough myself helped too. (Sometimes cough will stay because of being stressed, because you are constantly breathing high in your chest and this creates those conditions to feel like coughing.. and developes into a high-breath-cough cycle maybe? I'm totally shooting in the dark with this last bit but anyway...).

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: EBarnacle
Date: 25 Feb 12 - 09:16 AM

Last year I had a cold which lasted and lasted. When I went to my internist, he ordered a pulmonary function test. The diagnosis: a minimal case of asthma. We worked up a protocol which allows me to sing and speak well without medication. After all, I had apparently been living with this problem for years. Don't just see an ENT, see a pulmonologist and get properly diagnosed.

Subject: RE: Why do I cough when I sing?
From: Gurney
Date: 25 Feb 12 - 03:11 PM

As I understand it, the cilia in your lungs work constantly to remove foreign matter from the lung, bringing it up to the entrance so that a cough will expel it. So, the rubbish, encased in phlegm, is sitting there in the entrance waiting for a cough, or heavy breathing leading to a cough, or vigorous singing leading to a cough.

I read this years ago in a treatise informing me how bad smoking is for your health, as it stuns the cilia. I am not a medical person, but this story is logical, and the remedy is obviously exercise to the heavy breathing stage.
The post about house-dust makes sense, too.

Hope you get it sorted, Tam.