Your cold symptoms cleared up days ago—so why does your voice still feel off?
Cold symptoms resolve in 3-7 days. Vocal fold tissue takes 3-4 weeks to fully heal. That 1-3 week gap where you feel fine but your voice isn't ready is where singers cause preventable damage.
This episode covers what's actually happening in your vocal folds during a respiratory infection—the swelling, the fragile blood vessels, the disrupted mucosal wave. We break down the three injury patterns from returning too soon (hemorrhage, nodules, and muscle tension patterns that stick around after healing), which medications help versus hurt, and when hoarseness means it's time to see an ENT.
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Episode delivered by Drew Williams-Orozco
Written by Josh Manuel
