The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #68140 Message #1143990
Posted By: steve in ottawa
23-Mar-04 - 01:05 PM
Thread Name: Voice - stomach acids may have low odor
Subject: Voice - stomach acids may have low odor
I've just scanned the hits for "reflux" and maybe this is belaboring a point a little, but here goes:
If the little muscle at the top of your stomach opens up now and then, the acids can get up your esophagus to your throat. They almost never smell like vomit, so you might not notice. If they don't hang around for very long, they won't damage your esophagus (causing heartburn), because your esophagus is much sturdier than the top of your throat. But your upper throat, including your vocal chords, will take some damage.
The term for this is LARYNGOPHARYNGEAL REFLUX (LPR).
I've just been diagnosed with mild LPR. It'll be a major pain to get rid of it/control it, but it will be worth it, because it took the fun out of singing for the past 18 months (and hence, I've dropped from 10 hours a week to near zilch). I'd heard of reflux a zillion times, but thought THAT can't be my problem becasue I didn't know (once again):
reflux can damage your upper throat with damaging your esophagus.
stomach acid doesn't have to smell like vomit.
I hate going to doctors, but in this case, seeing an ear-nose-throat specialist was worth it.