Singing voice, smoking damage irreversible?

1. 61

   Bronteraeposted 13 years ago

   Singing voice, smoking damage irreversible?
   
   Does anyone know if smoking damage is reversible?  After a long hiatus I started singing again and now my voice is cracking at certain intervals.  (Wedding Singer) Will quitting help now?  Its been 25 years of low level abuse.  Please, no lectures, thanks.

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2. 55

   Luvmyposted 13 years ago

   Singing is a huge part of my life, it always has been. I feel like I threw it away - blew it - did not respect it the way that I should have. (that includes my body/health) I didn't listen to anyone that warned me. But they didn't really offer any proof that it would destroy my singing voice. The old adage, 'if I had known then what I know now' were to apply...? I know I never would have smoked. I know it sounds twisted and wrong - but I knew all along, as every smoker does, that it could affect my health  and I kept doing it. (cancer happens to everyone else, right?) But, had I known it would take my most beloved talent, I would not have touched them. I developed chronic bronchitis, then pnuemonia. My voice had gone from cracking, to outright hoarse and hurting. I wanted my singing voice back. I went to an ENT, where they shoved a tube up my nose and down my throat. They found 2 benign tumors and tissue growth, preventing my voice box from opening and closing. I have to be checked every 3 months for cancer development. And my voice will never be the same.
   MY ADVICE: (take it for what it's worth! from someone who went through it)
   If your voice is already cracking. I would advise quitting asap. This is your body speaking to you. It is telling you something isn't right.  The good news.....  you haven't been smoking too much. This will make it a little easier to quit, lessen the effects on your voice, and the duration it will take to heal from it. If you quit completely, your voice WILL heal, as long as you don't have any nodules, tumors, etc. on your throat/larynx/voice box. My ENT told me that all professional singers take an acid reflux medicine daily - whether they have it or not. (such as Prilosec)  I highly recommend seeing a doctor to make sure that you don't have any issues like these that are causing the cracking in your voice. If you are having trouble quitting, I would also recommend the E-Cigg, it has worked wonders for me. It's just water vapor, so inhaling it won't affect the voice. Whether it's still bad for my tumors, I don't know yet. I have an appt with my doctor this week.    I wish you all the luck in the world...  The tube does not hurt, I assure you. They spray a numbing solution up there before they insert it. It feels like someone is tickling your throat.(I'm starting a hub tracking my experience with this)

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