Acid Reflux and It's Effects on the Vocal Cords

One of the very first diagnoses which ENT specialists often give patients with hoarseness or vocal difficulties is acid reflux. In other words, your vocal cords are damaged by acid emitted from your esophagus. Occasionally, the specialist might tell you how the acid burns your cords, damaging your vocal quality. Sometimes the specialist might even tell you that your vocal cords have traces of acid burns. In such cases, the ENT specialist usually sends you to a digestive specialist and prescribes anti-acidity medications. Although acid reflux does contribute to vocal issues, one may doubt whether gastric and digestive issues deserve all that concern. It is better to look at the root of the problem and try natural alternatives since every medication has its side effects.

Background

The problem starts with the location of your cords: on the upper part of your windpipe, a most important part of human anatomy. This area is responsible for much more than making voices: this is where the air flows inside and outside of your body. Therefore, your vocal cords, epiglottis, and other organs located there strictly keep your food and drink out of your respiratory system. More importantly in our case, this area is prone to infiltration of acidity from the esophagus, which might reach your upper windpipe and hit your cords. This acidity leak is called acid reflux, or, in short, reflux. It occurs when food is not digested completely. As a result, acid residues leak from your stomach, reaching your larynx and eventually burn your vocal cords. This is a common phenomenon, which many suffer to various extent.Vocal professionals, or those who speak for long periods, suffer from it more seriously, as explained below.

This is a common phenomenon, which many suffer to various extent.Vocal professionals, or those who speak for long periods, suffer from it more seriously, as explained below.

Causes

The main cause of acid reflux is improper diet and weak digestive system . Vocal cords are muscles, and vocal professionals strain them intensely more often and for longer periods than other people. Therefore, their vocal cords swell and redden more often. As a result, they are more sensitive to acidity and other harmful phenomena.

Treatment

Preventive Measures:

• Adopt a healthy lifestyle, including regular general physical exercise.
• Carefully maintain, exercise and, when necessary, release your vocal cords, to avoid oversensitivity.
• Make sure to eat small amounts of food per meal.
• Avoid eating about 2 hours before bedtime
• Eat 15 non-roasted nuts, or chew sesame seeds 3 times a day.
• Do not smoke, since smoking loosens the hermetic closing of your esophagus, thus making matters worse.
• Avoid or minimize the consumption of chocolate, coca cola and alcohol.
• Avoid overweight, since it pressures your lower pylorus (that is, the esophagus’ “gatekeeper”).
• Exercise your diaphragm muscles.
• Raise the part of your bed on which your upper body part rests.

Foods you should avoid:

General note: you must find out which food, of the following list, is harmful to you, and avoid or minimize its consumption.

• Spicy foods
• Oily foods
• Processed meat
• Fried foods
• Acid food, such as citruses juice or tomatoes.
• Any food you know you are sensitive to, such as milk and dairy products, or food containing gluten.

TMRG’s Revolutionary Treatment

For complete recovery and full elimination of the issue, we recommend combining a change of diet with using TMRG solutions:

• TMRG Voice Powder will provide protective coating for your cords, draining away acid residues accumulated on your cords.
• TMRG Classic clears your mucosa from acidity residues and covers your cords with protective coating.
• Vocal exercises with a TPV device: The breathing in and out, through the TPV device, combined with TMRG herbal solutions, will release, disinfect and moisturize your vocal cords with vapors.

Good luck!

Talya

A TMRG Specialist