Vocal Health: Expert Tips to Keep Your Singing Voice Healthy

Tyler Connaghan
Music producer, Singer
09/01/25 | Last modified: 11/18/25

Your voice is your instrument, and like any instrument, it needs proper care to perform well and last a long time. No matter if you’re a professional on tour or someone who enjoys singing in your car, vocal health is a non-negotiable. 

Over the years, I’ve seen singers develop nodules and do long-term damage because they neglected to keep their voices healthy. Unfortunately, once your vocal cords are injured, recovery takes time. In some cases, that means professional therapy or surgery. 

Luckily, most vocal issues are preventable. With the right habits, techniques, and tools, you can maintain a strong, flexible, and reliable singing voice for many years to come. In this guide, we’ll take a look at how your vocal cords work, how to protect them, and how to use tools in your vocal health routine. 

Understanding Vocal Cords

Your vocal cords (or vocal folds) are small but mighty. They’re a pair of flexible, muscle-covered tissue folds located inside the larynx (voice box), and they’re responsible for producing every sound you sing or speak.

How Do They Work?

When you sing or speak, air from your lungs flows upward through the trachea and passes between the vocal cords. This causes them to vibrate rapidly, up to a hundred times per second, which creates sound. 

Your pitch depends on how tightly the cords are stretched and how fast they’re vibrating. 

• Tighter cords = higher pitch
• Looser cords = lower pitch

It’s important that we keep our vocal cords healthy so they produce a clear, steady tone without discomfort or fatigue. Damaged cords can result in hoarseness, inconsistent tone, pain, or total vocal loss. 

Yes, They Can Be Damaged

Don’t think you’re immune to it because you’ve spent nights screaming without developing long-term damage.

Your vocal cords are delicate and susceptible to wear and tear, especially from bad technique or overuse. Some of the most common vocal injuries include:

• Laryngitis – Inflammation of the cords, often from overuse or illness

• Vocal Hemorrhage – A ruptured blood vessel, which causes pain and hoarseness

• Nodules & Polyps – Callous-like growths from repeated strain

• Scarring – Irreversible damage that can limit your range and flexibility

To avoid these problems, it’s important to take consistent voice care and use proper technique. 

Why Proper Technique is the Foundation of Healthy Singing

If you want a healthy, long-lasting voice, technique isn’t optional. Good vocal technique can protect your cords, expand your range, and give you better control in long sessions or shows. 

Breath Support Using the Diaphragm

Singing begins with the breath, and the diaphragm is your engine. Diaphragmatic breathing (or “support”) involves engaging the lower belly (not the chest) to maintain steady and efficient airflow. 

This helps prevent strain and powers your tone.

Neutral Larynx Position

A neutral larynx helps maintain balance in your voice and prevents tension, especially as you reach for high notes. If your larynx is too high (like it is when you shout), it can make your voice feel tight and strained. 

Practice singing with a relaxed throat and tongue while maintaining consistent airflow. 

Avoid Pushing or Over-Singing

Trying to sound big or loud by using brute force is one of the most common ways I see singers develop vocal damage. It places unnecessary pressure on the vocal folds and can cause serious problems if not addressed.

Instead, focus on resonance, breath, and posture for volume, not the force from your throat. 

Work With a Vocal Coach

Even professional singers can benefit from feedback. A vocal coach can correct bad habits before they become harmful and offer a personalized approach to warming up and vocal technique. In-person or over Zoom, having structured guidance can really pay off. 

Hydration – The Key to Great Vocal Performance

Your vocal cords are delicate folds of soft tissue that need moisture to function properly. When hydrated, they vibrate more freely and resist friction, which creates a smoother tone and gives you more flexibility with less risk of injury. 

Well-lubricated vocal folds glide against each other with ease to produce a clear sound with minimal effort. When dehydrated, they become sticky and inflamed, which can cause:

• Hoarseness

• Vocal fatigue

• Increased risk of nodules or polyps

Vocal Health Tips for Staying Hydrated While Singing

• Drink Water Throughout the Day – Don’t wait until you’re about to sing. Consistent hydration matters most. Aim for 8-10 glasses daily, more if you’re active or in a dry climate.

• Avoid Dehydrating Substances – Caffeine, alcohol, and high-sodium foods can pull moisture from your tissues and leave your cords dry and sluggish.

• Use a Humidifier – Especially helpful in winter or dry regions. Humidifiers can keep your environment throat-friendly, which is great for overnight vocal recovery. 

• Try Steam Inhalation – Breathing in warm steam can help you rehydrate your cords quickly and soothe irritation.

• Eat Water-Rich Foods – Foods like cucumbers, watermelon, oranges, and celery help supplement fluid intake and keep mucosal tissue hydrated. 

Avoiding Strain – How to Protect Your Voice

Strain is one of the most common yet easily preventable causes of vocal injury among singers. While pushing to the limits can certainly be part of your growth, repeatedly trying to push past them without proper technique can lead to long-term issues like hoarseness, nodules, or vocal fold hemorrhage. 

Some signs you might be straining your voice include:

• Throat tightness or soreness after singing

• Frequent cracking or loss of range

• Needing to clear your throat often

• Feeling discomfort when you try to speak after singing

According to the Sleep and Sinus Centers of Georgia, these symptoms can be early warning signs of vocal fatigue or misuse, which could develop into more serious problems if unchecked. 

Let’s look at a few vocal health tips you can use to avoid straining your voice.

Know and Respect Your Range

Singing consistently outside your natural vocal range puts enormous pressure on your vocal cords. Learn where your voice sits more comfortably, and when you decide to explore higher or lower pitches, do so gradually and gently.

Singers who consistently exceed their comfortable tessitura (sweet spot range in your voice) are at higher risk for phonotrauma.

Always Warm Up and Cool Down

Never jump into a session cold. A proper warm-up can boost blood flow to the folds, prime breath support, and reduce the risk of injury. Cool-downs after the fact can help your voice return to a relaxed, natural state, reducing inflammation.

Don’t Belt Cold

Belting is a high-impact form of singing. Trying to do it cold is like trying to sprint before jogging. Worse yet, it can cause micro tears or swelling. This is why it’s always a good idea to ease into your chest or mix voice first.

Monitor Volume and Pressure

Loud is not healthy. Pushing air too forcefully or trying to over-sing in a loud environment (especially without any proper monitoring) can cause swelling or bruising on the vocal cords. According to Harvard Medical School, excessive loudness without proper technique is one of the leading causes of vocal injury. 

Diet and Lifestyle for Vocal Health

Again, your vocal cords are muscles, and like any muscles, they’re affected by the way you eat, drink, and live. This is why it’s so important to fuel your body properly and make smart lifestyle choices.

Foods That Support Vocal Health

Certain foods are naturally soothing, anti-inflammatory, and hydrating, which is exactly what your voice needs.

• Honey – One of the best foods for coating the throat and reducing inflammation. Many studies show that honey has both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help protect the vocal folds. 

• Ginger Tea – Helps soothe throat irritation and supports circulation to the larynx. 

• Warm Broths or Soups – Great for keeping the throat hydrated and promoting mucosal health

• Leafy Greens and Berries – Rich in antioxidants that combat inflammation and prevent fatigue. 

• Water-Rich Fruits and Veggies – Cucumbers, watermelon, and zucchini are all wonderful for vocal hydration.

Foods to Limit or Avoid When Singing

Certain foods can increase mucus, dehydrate the body, or irritate the throat

• Dairy Products – May increase phlegm production in some individuals, although this is anecdotal and not universally true. 

• Fried and Greasy Foods – Can cause acid reflux, which can harm the vocal cords over time.

• Spicy Foods – Can also trigger reflux or irritate the throat. It’s one of the leading contributors to chronic laryngitis. 

Lifestyle Habits That Can Harm Your Voice

• Smoking or Vaping – Both introduce harmful chemicals that dry out and irritate the vocal cords, which can increase the risk of nodules, polyps, or cancer.

• Alcohol – Dehydrates the body and inflames the throat lining.

• Whispering or Yelling – Both can put strain on an already fatigued voice. 

• Not Getting Enough Sleep – Lack of sleep can negatively affect your vocal control and recovery. 

Vocal Exercises for Strengthening and Maintaining the Voice

Daily vocal exercises aren’t just there to prep your voice for a performance. They’re there to build endurance and reinforce healthy vocal technique over time. It’s the vocal equivalent of a gym routine. 

Here are a few to add to your routine:

Lip Trills (Lip Bubbles)

Lip trills reduce tension in the voice, balance air pressure, and engage proper breath support. Simply press your lips together and blow air to create a gentle trill. Glide up and down throughout your range like a siren. Studies show lip trills promote efficient vocal fold oscillation and can be a great warm-up and rehab tool.

SOVT (Straw Phonation)

SOVTs (semi-occluded vocal tract exercises) are excellent for developing better vocal efficiency and range control. This particular exercise entails singing through a narrow straw into a glass of water, which creates back pressure that stabilizes the vocal folds. 

Humming 

Light humming increases nasal resonance and warms up the vocal cords in a light way. It’s one of the best exercises for starting your daily warm-up. Simply um on an “mm” with your lips gently closed, moving through a comfortable midrange scale. You should feel the vibration in your nose or face. 

Vocal Sirens

Sirens are one of the best exercises for engaging your full vocal range and connecting the chest, mix, and head registers. 

Glide from your lowest note to your highest and back on a “woo” or “ng.” You’ll start to notice a smoother transition between your registers the more you do this. 

Mental Health and the Voice

Your mental health can directly impact the way your voice sounds. This is because your voice is intimately connected to the body and the brain, which is why mental health is such a critical pillar of vocal performance.

When your mental health is off, it manifests physically. Stress can create tension in the jaw, neck, shoulders, and tongue, all of which are necessary to the voice. When we’re anxious, we also tend to breathe shallow, which can limit breath support and compromise tone and stamina. 

As such, having a mental health routine is just as important as having a vocal health routine. It’s vocal therapy for singers. Here are a few daily activities you can add to your to-do list: 

• Mindful Breathing – Deep, diaphragmatic breathing can help calm the nervous system and support vocal stamina

• Gentle Movement – Yoga or light stretching before singing can get rid of tension in the body.

• Mental Rehearsal – Visualizing a successful performance can prime the brain for clarity and emotional regulation.

Some studies show that incorporating mindfulness and body awareness into daily practice can be incredibly beneficial for both your tonal quality and longevity. 

How to Use Forbrain to Keep Your Voice Healthy

Forbrain is a bone conduction headset that offers real-time auditory feedback by bypassing the outer ear and sending vocal vibrations directly through the bones of your skull. This enhances how you perceive your own voice as you sing or speak.

Many studies note that wearing conduction headsets like this can promote healthy vocal placement and prevent fatigue, as they give wearers better awareness of their voice. 

Here’s how to use it in your daily routine:

• Wear Fobrain during your warm-up, especially for humming, lip trills, and articulation drills.

• Use it mid-practice to monitor tone placement and diction on difficult passages.

• Incorporate it daily for 10-20 minutes to reinforce efficient vocal habits. 

Final Words 

Caring for your voice is the only way to achieve longevity and flexibility in every recording session, live performance, or campfire group jam. Get started today with a proactive approach to vocal health, and it’ll serve you for many years to come. 

With just a few simple exercises, nourishing lifestyle choices, and helpful tech like Forbrain, you can give your voice the support it needs. 

FAQs

How to heal your voice as a singer?

Give your voice time to rest. This means no singing, no whispering, and no talking (if possible). Stay well-hydrated, inhale steam to soothe irritated tissues, and avoid anything that causes throat dryness. 

Does vocal damage heal?

It depends on the cause and severity. Mild swelling or laryngitis usually resolves with proper rest and voice care. More serious issues like nodules, polyps, or hemorrhages may require voice therapy or surgery. 

How to sing without damaging your voice?

Use proper breath support and avoid straining. Warm up before singing and cool down afterward. While singing, stay within your range and avoid shouting or whispering. Make sure to stay hydrated throughout the day as well.

How to make your vocal cords stronger?

Incorporate gentle daily exercises into your routine, like lip trills, straw phonation, and humming. Consistency is the best way to build strength over time. 

References

• Georgalas, V. L., Kalantzi, N., Harpur, I., & Kenny, C. (2021). The Effects of Caffeine on Voice: A Systematic Review. Journal of Voice, 37(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2021.02.025
• Early Signs of Vocal Cord Weakness: Key Symptoms to Watch For. (2025). Sleepandsinuscenters.com. https://sleepandsinuscenters.com/blog/early-signs-of-vocal-cord-weakness-key-symptoms-to-watch-for
• Shembel, A. C., & Nanjundeswaran, C. (2022). Potential Biophysiological Mechanisms Underlying Vocal Demands and Vocal Fatigue. Journal of Voice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2022.07.017
• Vocal Cord Disorders – Harvard Health. (2018, November 15). Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/vocal-cord-disorders-a-to-z
• Ranneh, Y., Akim, A. M., Hamid, H. Ab., Khazaai, H., Fadel, A., Zakaria, Z. A., Albujja, M., & Bakar, M. F. A. (2021). Honey and its nutritional and anti-inflammatory value. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-020-03170-5
• The Nutrition Source. (2012, September 18). Antioxidants. The Nutrition Source. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/antioxidants/
• Baughn, J. (2023, June 13). Cold symptoms: Does drinking milk increase phlegm? Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-cold/expert-answers/phlegm/faq-20058015
• Nudelman, C., Udd, D., Åhlander, V. L., & Bottalico, P. (2023). Reducing Vocal Fatigue With Bone Conduction Devices: Comparing Forbrain and Sidetone Amplification. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 66(11), 4380–4397. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_jslhr-23-00409