Revelation/Healing
Sometimes something just comes out of nowhere and hits you. When that happens, it can hurt. Thankfully, when it happened to me recently, I felt relieved, and convinced I’d found the answer to a question that was haunting me for months: Why are my vocal cords failing me?
The end of last week, I started thinking about the time I noticed the first signs of irritation, which was all the way back in late 2010. What changed? What did I start doing differently that I hadn’t done the whole rest of my life? I couldn’t think of anything.
Then it hit me. In October 2010, give or take a few weeks, I started drinking coffee almost every single morning. It became a part of my routine.
After this idea popped into my head I started doing tons of research, trying to find an answer or anything to confirm my suspicions that coffee could actually be causing my vocal troubles. At first glance, nothing stuck out, but I eventually found some evidence that suggests coffee can affect your blood vessels and blood pressure in a bad way, among other possible negatives. What if the coffee affected my blood enough to cause the micro hemorrhaging in the tiny blood vessels of my vocal cords, which in turn caused the swelling? I really, truly, honestly believe I’m on to something.
So I stopped cold. I’m not drinking coffee anymore, and already, within the last few days, my throat and vocal cords feel much better. I even sang a few songs the other day without lingering throat pain. Despite all the positives coffee has to offer, maybe, at least for me, it’s something I should be avoiding. I’m drinking water more often, and I’ve found some chamomile tea I enjoy (which takes me back to the wonderful cruise with my best girlfriends).
Note to self, and to every other vocalist out there: Consider the effects before you commit to any daily routine!
The end of last week, I started thinking about the time I noticed the first signs of irritation, which was all the way back in late 2010. What changed? What did I start doing differently that I hadn’t done the whole rest of my life? I couldn’t think of anything.
Then it hit me. In October 2010, give or take a few weeks, I started drinking coffee almost every single morning. It became a part of my routine.
After this idea popped into my head I started doing tons of research, trying to find an answer or anything to confirm my suspicions that coffee could actually be causing my vocal troubles. At first glance, nothing stuck out, but I eventually found some evidence that suggests coffee can affect your blood vessels and blood pressure in a bad way, among other possible negatives. What if the coffee affected my blood enough to cause the micro hemorrhaging in the tiny blood vessels of my vocal cords, which in turn caused the swelling? I really, truly, honestly believe I’m on to something.
So I stopped cold. I’m not drinking coffee anymore, and already, within the last few days, my throat and vocal cords feel much better. I even sang a few songs the other day without lingering throat pain. Despite all the positives coffee has to offer, maybe, at least for me, it’s something I should be avoiding. I’m drinking water more often, and I’ve found some chamomile tea I enjoy (which takes me back to the wonderful cruise with my best girlfriends).
Note to self, and to every other vocalist out there: Consider the effects before you commit to any daily routine!
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