A couple of years ago, teacher, consultant, and director Cindy Sadler tried to make an appointment with her physician. The nurse told her they no longer had her files and that she’d have to register as a new patient. “I said, ‘That’s crazy! I’ve been his patient for over 10 years.’”
But the nurse explained that Sadler had not been to see the doctor in four years. “I didn’t realize it had been that long since I had been to see him, because I only went in when I was sick. I had not been sick to any degree that I needed to go in.”
If you’re a singer who travels a lot, you might find that story hard to believe. After all, extensive travel and the stress of performing open up the body to illness. How can you stay healthy while on the road? And what should you do if illness strikes? Sadler and her fellow regular CS columnist, Dr. Anthony F. Jahn, provide some answers.
Baseline of Health
Sadler asserts that by living healthy all the time, traveling or not, you can avoid some of the most common illnesses and strengthen your immune system to protect your voice and preserve your employer’s investments. “The very best way to stay healthy,” she says, “is just to have a baseline of health—and that is to have a healthy lifestyle as much as possible, whatever that means for you.”
For her, that means choosing organic foods and avoiding processed foods when possible. She also adds in supplements, regular exercise, drinking plenty of water, and getting enough sleep. While not all of this is possible while traveling, being as healthy as possible before hitting the road can give your immune system the boost it needs to get through a tough change in climate or time zone.
Sadler stresses that preventing sickness does not start the day you hop on a plane. It should be an ongoing, daily goal. “You can’t just say, ‘Oh, I’m going to travel now. I’m going to kick it up and make sure I’m going to be healthy.’”
Dr. Jahn, professor of otolaryngology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, also recommends eating well and choosing fresh fruits and vegetables packed with antioxidants. In addition, he says that common sense strategies, such as avoiding large gatherings where germs are rampant and getting enough sleep, can go a long way.
“I also recommend daily taking 1000 mg of vitamin C routinely,” he says. “At the first sign of a cold, I recommend increasing your vitamin C intake to 4000 mg (divided doses) per day, [and] vitamin C- and zinc-containing preparations, like Airborne®, are very useful.”
Sadler recommends using hand sanitizer, but even more so after coming in close contact with someone who is coughing or sneezing. She also highly recommends that people who are not allergic get a flu shot.
During the Trip
Singers know they cannot avoid germs altogether, but it is possible to control certain factors that lead to sickness. According to Dr. Jahn, stress weakens the immune system. “Focus on stressors that are solvable and need to be addressed in real time,” he says. “Don’t worry about things you cannot, and need not, deal with during your trip.”
Holding to a regular routine of eating and sleeping regularly, mirroring the schedule when at home, should be carried through times of travel, Jahn says. This is even more important—and more difficult—to do when traveling to a new time zone.
“In general, try to get yourself into the new time zone as quickly and as completely as possible. Set your watch to the new time before you leave and then adopt the daily activities—sleep, wakefulness, meals—to fit the new time,” he says. “When you arrive, stay in the new time zone, even if it means combatting hours of leaden fatigue to do so.”
Jahn says the pineal gland in the brain will more quickly adjust to the new time zone if exposed to the new day/night cycle. The more time outdoors, the better.
Seasoned travelers may know this, but Jahn says it is important to remember that traveling west to east is a more difficult adjustment. “This means that a trip from the U.S. to Europe is more tiring than a trip from Europe to the United States. The worst, in this regard, is a trip back from Asia to the United States,” Jahn says. “To fully adjust and accommodate may take one to two weeks, depending on the person. In general, travel during daylight hours, when possible, is less traumatic to your diurnal rhythm.”
If allergens or cold symptoms are the problem, Sadler says she ups her intake of water. “If I do feel like I’m getting sick, then I sort of go into emergency mode and I drink as much water as I can stand. I just try to flush out whatever’s going on.”
When All Else Fails
Getting sick is not the end of the world—or the end of a gig—though it may often feel like that. A little treatment can go a long way.
“I don’t believe in running to the doctor at the drop of a hat,” Sadler says. “I believe in just the opposite. I believe in doing as much homeopathic caretaking as you can.”
But when a doctor visit is necessary, she continues, a singer should research local options. Oftentimes, the company a singer is performing with will recommend a local trusted ear, nose, and throat doctor. If that is not the case, the singer should ask around. Fellow performers, particularly locals, are a great resource. They may be able to help a singer find alternatives to walk-in clinics.
“Some (doc-in-the-box physicians) are really good, and some of them are a complete waste of your time and money,” Sadler says. “It’s just very hit or miss.”
To give a doctor, overseas or in the States, the chance to care for a singer properly, Dr. Jahn recommends singers pack a photograph of his or her vocal folds at optimum health.
Also important is sharing with the doctor a list of the prescribed medications the singer takes. In turn, it is also a good idea to write down the medications the doctor administers or prescribes as reference for personal use for the next doctor, Jahn says.
Trying to not talk more than is necessary is one way Sadler protects her voice when she is sick, “because once you lose your voice, it takes a while to get it back functioning,” she says.
“Nobody likes to sing on a cold, but you certainly can,” Sadler continues. “As long as it’s not directly affecting your vocal cords, you can.”
Check out Dr. Jahn’s book Care of the Professional Voice for more information about overall vocal health as well as specific tips for staying healthy on the road.
