Singing exam soon, how to stop a cold getting a grip? Share your tips, miracle cures and old wives tales please!

[cathyandclaire]

DD has her grade 8 singing exam in 12 days. She has just started (of course) snuffling and has a history of hideous, endless colds developing into laryngitis. They happen once, sometimes twice a year, usually just after school exams so have affected singing exams before.

She really wants to do this one now, so it can go on her personal statement but some of the songs need ridiculous breath control so she has to be on top form.

So...how can she get rid/prevent the cold and keep her voice healthy?

[morethanpotatoprints]

Hello OP, I have found honey works really well and taken everyday lines the throat.
Also, its vile but a mix of coconut oil, (the solid stuff) melted in a little boiling water with turmeric and black pepper. Let it cool slightly but not enough for the coconut oil to solidify again and then knock it back.
As I say completely vile but will remove any infection, swelling, and clear sinus.
Good luck.

[cathyandclaire]

Thanks morethan I've just spent most of the household budget in the health store! I have manuka honey ( is that ok?) zinc and vit c lozenges and some Pergalonium (?sp)
I may have to pin her down to get the coconut oil in so will use it as a last resort!

[PurpleAlert]

DD is a singer and found Vocal zone lozenges are miraculous and also Sandersons Gargle is very effective for a croaky voice.

As for the cold- echinacea and loads of vitamin C

[PurpleAlert]

Oh- Manuka honey great too

[Theas18]

The orthodox medical approach would be sudafed and steam inhalations. Rest the voice.

[cathyandclaire]

Thanks all, some great advice, voice isn't croaky yet, she's just paranoid due to bitter experience.
Purple have stockpiled Sandersons and Vocalzones just in case, Sandersons is soooo disgusting it must work!
Theas she's steaming religiously :) She rightly or wrongly feels that Sudafed just dries out the mucous so that it hardens on her vocal chords... Singers seem to have a whole load of their own special superstitions and stresses!
She's tucked up in bed now hopefully fighting the viruses off

[Theas18]

agree with sudafed drying things- it certainly does! But she might need it to clear her sinuses immediately prior to going in, those air spaces in the skull act as resonators.

[Lovage]

I got laryngitis just before my grade 8 Singing exam too (25-odd years ago). My GP told me to completely rest my voice. I stopped talking as much as possible and carried a notebook round for communication. Then a couple of days before the exam I started practising again, but not too hard. I don't know whether it worked or not - I passed, with Merit, but I'd been hoping for a Distinction. Maybe without resting my voice I'd not have been able to sing at all. I don't know. Sorry, not very helpful.

Good luck to your daughter!

[BikeRunSki]

I held off a cold for a week before running a half marathon with double doses of echinacea an zinc/vit c/vit d/ vit e tablets.

[TeaandHobnobs]

Water water water - drink as much as possible to thin the mucous. And steam, as she is already doing. She is right about sedated drying everything out, definitely to be avoided.
Make sure she gets enough rest - vocally and physically.
Fingers crossed for her!

[cathyandclaire]

Many thanks to all, DD was groaning about how unfair it was that she had a cold at exactly the same time EVERY year and I had an epiphany... HAYFEVER!
No itching or sneezing, just snuffly and then mouth-breathing at night which dried out her throat. She probably wouldn't have even noticed if she wasn't a singer.
Anyway... Water, steam, antihistamines, flixonase and nose strips sorted her out and she got a distinction :)
Thanks for all advice, She now has a treasure chest of voice saving medications to keep her humming!

[Noteventhebestdrummer]

Great news! Glad it worked out
What did she sing?

[cathyandclaire]

Thanks Noteven she sang Du Bist Die Ruh, Can't Help Lovin' dat Man, Take oh take, those lips away and Music for a While and She Walks throughout the fair for her folk song.
I think the breathing for Du Bist Die Ruh would have been challenging with any sort of cold/hayfever! Very glad it's done and dusted and no more of the dreaded sight singing for a while!