I had a really bad cold that turned into pharyngitis, which caused me to cough uncontrollably. I wasn't able to treat the pharyngitis with antibiotics because I'm breastfeeding. The ENT said there was nothing on my cords and that I could continue to practise for an upcoming gig. I should have not listened to him. I went back after more coughing, and a hoarse middle range. He said the pharyngitis is gone but I have a broken blood vessel. He even said I could sing the gig this weekend, but I'm not crazy. I cancelled and I'm doing complete vocal rest.
It must not be that bad because I can still speak, but my middle singing range is hoarse and uncomfortable. He said the broken blood vessel would go away by itself in 2-3 weeks.
Is this true? Or will I suffer permanent vocal damage?
How can I treat this without medication? Is steaming bad? Is coffee bad? I have very low blood pressure.
1. Believe him that it will go away in a couple weeks. COMPLETE vocal rest. Then follow up with him in 2-3 weeks to see if it went away.
2. Get an immediate second opinion and ask that ENT if there are any treatment options in addition to vocal rest. Then decide whose advice to follow.
Don't panic, but be very careful to follow a trusted doctor's advice on this.
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"What is to give light must endure burning."
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Viktor Frankl
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Never linger too long with the ignorant,
throw stones at their talk.
Walk only with the lovers.
the mirror of the soul gets rusty when
dipped in muddy water.
My understanding of this (and it is LIMITED, so don't take this as gospel), is that once the hemmorahge is finished and is no longer actively bleeding, the only risk afterwards is scarring (which could permenantly change the activity of the cord, depending on where the scar is and how big it is).
I suspect that the ENT reassured you because of the size and location of your bleed, and that you'd probably be ok to sing. But I won't say for certain, because I haven't seen your cords.
Some swelling and hoarseness is to be expected, the only question is how much. I'm sorry I can't be any more helpful, and I suspect that it boils down to how much you trust your ENT.
It is possible to have a bleed in the larynx that doesn't affect the voice at all! It is also possible to have a career-ending bleed. If your ENT wasn't worried, I suspect your is the former.
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*I am not a doctor, and any opinions I express on this forum are my opinions only, and should not be confused with real medical advice given by a licensed professional. If you are concerned about your medical condition, always see a doctor!
This message has been edited by sinkingtenner on Oct 3, 2009 2:25 PM
A vocal fold hemorrhage that is healing can cause your vocal fold to be very stiff. Speaking and singing on this can end up making you compensate for this, leading to unhealthy habits and as somewhat else said, can lead to permanent changes in the vocal fold mucosa. I would shut the heck up for a while, and go to see someone who deals with more voice stuff next time & understands professional voice users (NOT your current ENT, evidently)!
a friend of mine went through this-don't worry too much!
October 3 2009, 8:19 PM
I am so sorry this happened to you because it has to be very stressful, but if it makes you feel better she is now fine. But she didn't speak at ALL for a while. She walked around with a notebook. So I would do that and let it all heal.
I am Speech and Language Pathology student, so I will share, what I know about this condition; but bear in mind I am not a professional (yet!).
Firstly, don't despair!!
Because of the rupture of the blood vessel, swelling will follow. This means that the vocal fold will be a quite stiff. The swelling will also increase the mass of the vocal fold. Any increase in the mass and stiffness of the vocal fold will have an affect on the way your folds vibrate and so the way your vocal folds move when singing and speaking will be affected. The degree of impact will be determined by how large the swelling is, and whether a haemorrhage occured on both folds or just the one.
It would be useful to go to an ENT who works with singers, as he will be more "intune" (pardon the pun) with your concerns. I would recommend complete voice rest since this is the usual recommendation for anything that involves swelling of the vocal folds. Clinicians generally suggest at least 7-10 days of complete voice rest. This means NO whispering even.
Also try and maintain excellent hydration. This will help keep the vocal folds as supple and moist as possible. You don't want to dry them out in any manner as it can increase hoarseness.
oh and let me add, that in the majority of cases, complete function is regained after rest and recovery with no long term effects to voice quality.
So rest up!
Some really good advice from other posters. The main thing for this type of injury is vocal rest. A second opinion is in order, preferably from an ENT who works with singers.
I went to see the same ENT today after keeping my mouth shut the whole weekend. He said the broken blood vessel is on it's way to disappearing and that I should rest my voice until Friday when I will see him again. He said again that I don't have to do complete vocal rest, but I will anyways.
I don't trust this doctor anymore, but I wanted him to take another look so he could compare what he saw before. I thought he was a voice doctor since all the opera singers in this town go to see him. I can't believe it. Tomorrow I will be seeing the university ENT specialist.
Thank you for all the advice! I will keep posting...
The talking can be worse on the cord than the singing. Even relearning to cough softer helps.
-dg
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"Life is a joke that's just begun." -- W.S. Gilbert, English librettist (1836-1911)
I went to the university clinic today. 3 different ENT doctors looked at my cords, including the chief, another surgeon, phoniatician and a speech pathologist. I saw the photos of my cords and the broken blood vessel is very small but is poking into the middle, affecting vocal closure. The cords are not swollen anymore and are otherwise white and clear of any other obstruction.
The hack ENT had said to me yesterday that my vocal cords have a tendency towards vocal nodules, which is something I've never, ever heard before. All 3 ENTs today assured me that I have no indication of nodules, not even minimally.
The broken blood vessel could disappear after 2 weeks of complete vocal rest. If it doesn't we will discuss the option of surgery. I was given a mild cortisone to inhale 3 times a day.
Vocal rest...boring but necessary...my little baby is staring at me wondering why I have nothing to say...
Good for you for following your instincts when you thought something wasn't right!
I'm glad you got (what sounds like) better advice the second time around. Hopefully this resolves completely without any further intervention!
Be well!
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*I am not a doctor, and any opinions I express on this forum are my opinions only, and should not be confused with real medical advice given by a licensed professional. If you are concerned about your medical condition, always see a doctor!
I have to plan this well in advance because I'm still breastfeeding and I don't want to quit quite yet.
Hypothetically speaking, if I were to have laser surgery to remove the broken blood vessel, how many days worth of milk would I have to freeze? When would the anesthesia be out of my system and when would I be physically fit to breastfeed again?
if the vessel seems to be a little better than it was, and the chords aren't swollen anymore...give it a little time. There is always a risk with vocal surgery(as with any surgery), no matter how good the surgeon may be. Unless, your voice is completely out of commission with no chance for mending I would opt for a good rest.
It's been one month since I posted about the broken blood vessel. What it really was, was a blood bubble. 2 weeks ago, the ENT surgeon observed that the blood bubble was reducing in size. Other than the bubble my vocal cords were clear, so she recommended that I use my voice normally, both in singing and speaking. I saw her again today and it was not there anymore. My singing has been normal for almost a week and a half so I think it disappeared then.
Lessons learned: Don't sing with pharyngitis and don't cough.
