Jump to content

Rate this topic


Rlynnclifford

Recommended Posts

Hello,

I am having a serious and rather uncommon vocal issue and I was wondering if someone could shed some light on the situation.

In early May of this year, I was very, very careless with my voice. I had always sung through basically blunt force trauma, but my voice had always rebounded- except this time, it didn't. For months I had pain after speaking , loss of range and projection problems. Finally, I was diagnosed with a hemorrhage of the false vocal folds. I was told it wasn't permanent, and put on modified, not total, vocal rest.

From what I understand, true vocal fold hemorrhages are extremely serious...but I can find no information about false vocal fold hemorrhage. It's been about a month and I'm still having problems with all of this, if not worse problems. My concern is, what role do false vocal folds play in speaking/singing? If it's just a false hemorrhage, wouldn't that have a minimal effect on my speaking voice and vocal range? I often get hoarse as well. I'm very concerned with scarring and permanent changes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You must be a victim of socialized medicine, like Obamacare, which is forcing some insurance companies to fold and others to pull out of markets, leaving a monopoly for single insurer throughout the western states. Thanks, Obama ...

The reason I say that is if you had a good doctor who was not hampered by govt guidelines on what he or she can say or do, they would be able to give you a little more information. 

But the problem with socialists, such as Obama, is that they are not capable of adding one plus one and having it equal two. They simply cannot do it, it is not in their ability, it is like adopting that philosophy costs you some brain cells and actually changes your DNA to match. Expecting a socialist to perform 1+1=2 correctly is like expecting my dog, who has not been to medical school, to perform open heat surgery and have the patient live well. Just not gonna happen ...

But I digress.

Also, while this may be a forum of singers and a few of us geeks have learned a few points of anatomy. pretty much absolutely none of us is medically qualified in any form or fashion outside of my first aid merit badge in boy scouts and later, my CPR training card when I was a teacher. But because your doctor, trained and paid by Obamacare, is so crappy, and why should he or she be better, they already have a guaranteed reimbursement thanks to my tax dollars?

Do they even know what false vocal folds are? Or is it just a matter of paying a fee and swearing allegiance to Satan to get a license to practice medicine? Is there, like, any testing for these people? How could they leave a patient like you with questions? I mean seriously. They should have taken care of you to the level that we could ask you questions instead of you asking us, a bunch of singers, none of whom are specialized in internal medicine.

Again, thanks Obama ....

The false vocal folds are a misnomer. They are not vibrating folds or tissue in any regard, whatsoever. They are membranes that are a bump above the true vocal folds and their main job is to release mucus onto the folds to keep the folds supple and pliant and not dry out. Now, of course, the size of FVF varies in each person, as does any structure, based on genetics. Some guys are going to have FVF that are more prominent and intrude upon the airway when producing sound. Like Louis Armstrong. It is a genetic mutation and Louis did not have to do or train anything to get that sound. Others, like myself, have smaller protusions than normal, barely there. So, I can squeeze all I want to to "engage the FVF" and just not get it, though I tried twice and hurt myself twice and gave myself partial laryngitis, twice. I have become just barely smarter than that since then.

If someone has some prominent FVF then they will have a natural rattle or rasp that seems effortless because, well, it is. But you will find many a person, including singing teachers who will take your money talk about FVF distortion like it is something that can be trained. Very few teachers give a nod to genetic and structural differences.

Why are you still hurting? Well that depends. Have you followed the directions you were given? Really, honestly? I remember the wisdom of Dr House, MD, (as played by actor Hugh Laurie.) - "Patients lie."

Let's say whatever doctor you went to was good in spite of all odds. Have you followed the regimen given for recovery? Are you just being impatient? Have you gone back for a follow-up or to show that you are still experiencing symptoms? Point being, can they help you better than I can, which is not very much, albeit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

See an ENT Doctor. Get their advice. Not all of it will be great advice, but they are specialized and know a lot more about what's going on than any of us here do. Ask your normal Doctor if they can give you a referral to another ENT as well, so you can get a second opinion, since it's likely a very serious matter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
On 25/08/2016 at 9:09 PM, Rlynnclifford said:

Hello,

I am having a serious and rather uncommon vocal issue and I was wondering if someone could shed some light on the situation.

In early May of this year, I was very, very careless with my voice. I had always sung through basically blunt force trauma, but my voice had always rebounded- except this time, it didn't. For months I had pain after speaking , loss of range and projection problems. Finally, I was diagnosed with a hemorrhage of the false vocal folds. I was told it wasn't permanent, and put on modified, not total, vocal rest.

From what I understand, true vocal fold hemorrhages are extremely serious...but I can find no information about false vocal fold hemorrhage. It's been about a month and I'm still having problems with all of this, if not worse problems. My concern is, what role do false vocal folds play in speaking/singing? If it's just a false hemorrhage, wouldn't that have a minimal effect on my speaking voice and vocal range? I often get hoarse as well. I'm very concerned with scarring and permanent changes.

Wow, that is fascinating. I've never heard of a singer getting a haemorrhage on their false vocal folds from singing. Do you have images?

As they do not play an active role in normal speech I would not expect you to have issues with your speaking or singing voice. I agree with Draven Grey you need to see an ENT/Laryngologist - someone who specialises in voice. You may have either been told the wrong diagnosis (not all doctors/ENTs are equal) or misunderstood what the doctor said, best to get a second or specialist opinion. Your history is more indicative of a true vocal fold injury. Haemorrhage of the vocal folds is serious but totally fixable with the right specialist. It's what singers like Adele, Steve Tyler and Sam Smith and many others, suffered from. There is a special laser (green light) that can target and eliminate the burst blood vessels. After some weeks of rest and vocal therapy you will be singing again. Though you will need to address the cause of the issue, if your vocal technique doesn't get addressed you will end up in the same place again.

I look forward to hearing how you go.

Cheers,

Line

Vocal Coach, Performing Arts Medicine Specialist and Founder of iSing Magazine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...