In its various forms, alcohol is the most commonly-consumed drug in the world, and as a vocal professional, you should be aware of how this substance can affect your performance. Despite its many social benefits, including its apparently-magical effects on Nemorino’s love life, alcohol is not without potential hazards for the singer. Since most singers are (like the general population) only occasional drinkers, we’ll not talk about the long-term effects of chronic alcohol abuse, but concentrate on what may happen when you drink socially.
Alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and acts almost instantaneously on most parts of the body. One important effect of alcohol is as a diuretic; it blocks the hormone (ADH) that prevents diuresis. You know the situation: a couple of beers, and you’re running to the bathroom. Because it is usually mixed with other liquids, you may drink alcohol as a thirst quencher, whereas its effect is just the opposite: It dehydrates you, making you thirstier. These drinks may also contain sugar or caffeine, which can also act as diuretics. (Irish coffee manages to include all three!) Dehydration is the enemy of the singer, leading to dry vocal folds, which cannot function well and which injure easily.
The central nervous system (CNS) is profoundly affected by alcohol, which crosses the blood-brain barrier readily. There is a disinhibition of mood which may inspire even the non-singers among us to burst into loud and inappropriate song, or at least animated conversation The potential for vocal abuse is even greater at a noisy restaurant or party, usually the place where drinks are served. As drinking continues and the blood alcohol level rises, alcohol becomes a CNS depressant, making us tired and sleepy. This is why after too many drinks you readily go to sleep. As the alcohol is metabolized down to lower levels, you once again enter the excitement phase and suddenly sit up in the middle of the night, wide awake and holding your throbbing, dehydrated head.
Remember in the old westerns the scene where the hero takes a shot of whiskey right before Doc digs the bullet out of his arm? Alcohol is an anesthetic, which impairs sensation, both centrally (brain) and peripherally (mucous membranes). As a singer, you monitor your vocal activity constantly through physical sensation from the throat and head cavities, as well as by hearing. Fine muscular adjustments are constantly made, based on the information received. Alcohol dampens and distorts both sensory input and muscular response. A laryngeal lining that is anesthetized is much more prone to damage from vocal abuse.
Alcohol is a vasodilator: It opens the blood vessels in the skin and mucous membranes. Alcohol also “thins the blood,” one of the reasons that a daily glass of red wine has been advocated as a sound “anti-stroke” measure. As a singer, however, you need to keep in mind the potential for vocal fold hemorrhage, particularly if you have prominent blood vessels on the vocal folds. Finally, alcoholic drinks (particularly red wine) may cause heartburn, again a potential problem if you have GERD, with laryngeal or pharyngeal irritation.
Do you need to be a teetotaler, then? Unless you have a history of recurrent vocal fold hemorrhage, the answer is no. However, there are measures you can take to avoid most of the harmful effects of alcohol on the voice. Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Food, particularly fats, slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Cheese is a time-honored choice, and much better for you (in this regard, at least) than tortilla chips (carbohydrate) or celery sticks (water and salt).
Drink extra water if ingesting alcohol. Don’t be fooled by “coolers”—if they contain alcohol, they will not quench your thirst or rehydrate your vocal folds. Avoid alcoholic drinks that you know cause heartburn (red wine, for example), and alcohol-coffee combinations. Don’t drink late at night, since you won’t be able to rehydrate and will be more prone to reflux. Most importantly, monitor that rate of alcohol ingestion and stop when you have reached your limit. At times, it is difficult to resist the urging of friends (or more importantly, business associates). If you don’t want to drink at all, just announce that you are taking medication, and let your doctor take the blame.
