Alkalol is the brand name of an all natural product that has been on the market since 1896. Note that we aren’t talking about “alcohol”. Mucus Solvents: Another trick that many singers use is a mucus solvent, such as the old standard, Alkalol. The salinized water is placed in the reservoir of the waterpik and the machine sends the water into the nose in a gentle pulsating rhythm which cleanses the sinuses and exits the other nostril. This is often accomplished with a special attachment that fits on the end of a waterpik type device and into the opening of the nostril. The bottle is gently squeezed to allow the water to flow in one nostril and out the other.ģ. Nasal irrigation bottle: This device uses the same basic procedure as the neti pot, but the salinized water is placed in a plastic squeeze bottle that has a spout on the top which is placed in the nostril. After both sides have been irrigated, the nose is blown gently to remove any excess water that hasn’t drained out.Ģ. The spout is placed in one nostril, while over a sink or other basin and the water is allowed to flow in one nostril and out the other. The pot is filled with lukewarm water which has been salinized to the proper ph. They often look like a small tea pot with a long thin spout.
The Neti Pot: This device originated in India, and can be made of several types of materials such as glass, ceramic, metal or even plastic. When there is excess mucus on the cords, this can be done a couple times per day to get relief.ġ.
Nasal Irrigation: There are several devices that work well at flushing the sinuses and thus give some relief to the constant drainage on the vocal folds. Yet, for those occasional times when you need to sing and you just have that layer of ick on top of your cords, there are a few things that you can try that may give you some relief. If your voice is causing you problems for more than a few days, see your doctor. Your problem could be due to chronic post-nasal drip, acid reflux, GERD, vocal injury or other conditions which require immediate specialized attention. This specialized ENT can run a scope and have a very detailed look at what is going on. Find someone who is highly experienced working with singers. Cracks, pops, and scratches seem to come out of the voice from nowhere and vocal technique can be quite sluggish when things are over lubricated or gummed up.Īs always, if you have a chronic issue with excess mucus, or the condition accompanied by pain, or you are noticing hoarseness that is either recurring or has lasted more than a few days, it’s essential that you see your laryngologist immediately.
Excess globs of yuck on the vocal folds makes the phonation process very frustrating. For most people, the presence of excess muck on the cords often goes unnoticed, but for singers, it can present an annoying problem. Allergies? Still getting over that cold? Ate something last night that didn’t quite agree with you? There are many reasons that people get occasional excess mucus on their vocal folds.