Members Tuckerb13 Posted January 27, 2020 Members Share Posted January 27, 2020 Hey Guys! I was curious as to if anyone else suffers from chronic raspiness/a feeling like their is constantly phlegm on their vocal chords. I've had this for about 2 years now and it makes singing very difficult. It seems to always be in the same place in my throat; very low, towards the bottom of my adam's apple which makes it too low to clear by clearing my throat. I've gone to an ENT a couple times and they both said that it looks like I have a bit of inflammation "from acid reflux". The thing I've found intriguing is that around the time this phlegm thing came up (out of nowhere) I started developing TMJ symptoms. I know TMJ can really mess up the muscular structure and balance of the whole facial, jaw, neck, laryngeal, and diaphragm areas (among others) so I was wondering if anyone else that's had TMJ also experienced this phlegm thing and if so, what did you do about it? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators davie Posted January 28, 2020 Moderators Share Posted January 28, 2020 Hi and welcome to the forum. I'm sorry to hear about your vocal issues. I have experienced both of these issues before. A build-up of mucus on the vocal cords tends to happen after acid reflux, which can interfere with singing but also serves to protect the cords. It's a pretty normal occurrence for reflux sufferers, myself included. If things aren't too severe, then it is still possible to sing normal, just requires more time to warm-up the voice. I find falsetto exercises especially helpful in clearing excess mucus on the cords. I've also dealt with mild case of TMJ in the past. It can make it feel like it takes extra effort to open the jaw, which can get in the way of singing, especially singing higher. Maybe paying closer attention to everyday posture and also reducing stress can help with it. Make sure you aren't opening your mouth too far or jutting your jaw forward when singing to the point where the jaw unhinges. When things are working well the jaw should move slightly down and back. I also find that rotating the head side-to-side can help alleviate tension in the neck if you happen to experience that too. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tuckerb13 Posted February 1, 2020 Author Members Share Posted February 1, 2020 Thanks for the Reply Davie! Did you ever get treated for TMJ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators davie Posted February 3, 2020 Moderators Share Posted February 3, 2020 On 2/1/2020 at 12:30 PM, Tuckerb13 said: Thanks for the Reply Davie! Did you ever get treated for TMJ? I've never been treated for TMJ before. My doctor told me that there was really nothing I could do about it. My issue was a result of teeth grinding at night. I think it gradually improved after working to reduce my stress and improving my posture. Have you tried asking an opinion from a dentist? Sometimes jaw issues can be due to teeth alignment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tim Mayock Posted August 2, 2020 Members Share Posted August 2, 2020 I recently discovered that good posture includes you jaw placement. I have been chronically pushing my jaw back and that feels like it sends my head back a bit and my jaw up. I found some good TMJ exercises on Youtube and just started practicing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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