I started singing lessons in 1964 and stopped in 2004 During that time despite flogging my voice particularly as a tenor I have never lost my voice or had throat trouble I have sung through colds and catarrh once a bad throat set, that was it no more singing.

I am concerned by the posts of people losing their voice - posters regaining their voice after 3 weeks etc

I am wondering if there could not be an FAQ section on vocal health or a list of recommended things to do and don't contributed by some of the teachers who post

I will not post except to suggest the idea - for some people any idea or suggestion that comes from me is arrogant and self serving

Any views from the moderators or other teachers

I had thought some of the same things.... I have sung through everything.... but am much more careful with my pupils..... I know my voice and what it can or can't do.... I had a time delay on it once...which turned out to be a stomach acid problem.
Basically everyone is different.... maybe some people need to make sure they are producing their voice properly.. I have had a number of children come to me with voice problems...including nodules..... I make children sing through colds...it's quite useful as they can feel things moving and happening....ie.snot.
Everyone is different.... but things like avoiding dairy food before singing... might be useful advice for young singers... Ilike a port...
I think advice given on here re losing voices has been helpful and supportive.

I'm on your side here. I had some problems with over singing as a teenager, but the only time I've ended up voiceless has been due to infections and with rest and the infection cured the voice is back within days - not weeks.

Since my early twenties my voice has been pretty bomb proof, and that has purely been down to good vocal health.

The British Voice Association have a good section on Vocal Health. They've got a two day conference in the autumn that I'm really interested in attending as its on Children's Voices and its an area where I work.

There are several of us here who seem to be in "the know". It does concern me how many so-called singing teachers pay no attention to posture and breathing. In my experience once I've got those mainly sorted any tension is removed from the throat area and people don't have as many problems.

Children and Teenagers do tend to get more colds than adults (with the exception of parents of children up to ten). There is so much that can be done to prevent problems. Alas not every singing teacher is aware of this and then you get problems with straining.

And it has been too quiet so I thought that I would add a couple of points:

Shouting is bad for your voice, so if you must shout do so quietly!

When you feel like warbling your way through an aria on the spur of the moment have a vocal warm up first.

And one for the non-singers who read here too:
Everyone can enjoy singing! It is good for you, so ignore anyone who tells you that you have no voice or are out of tune etc and just sing anyway. You will feel much better for it. I have often thought that singing should be prescribed by family doctors.

And never whisper!

I've read this before, and I'm curious to know - why is whispering bad for your voice? I'm not saying it's not, just wondering if anyone knows physiologically why it's bad.

I think it's got something to do with being very high pitched. Or something. Or nuffin.

Hear, hear!!!

I think if I remember correctly, it forces air past some part of your voice apparatus which is happier not having air forced past it - someone will correct me / fill in the correct terminology / improve on my explanation - no doubt!

Yes...a number of my pupils come to me very hoarse somedays...particularly after rugby or something... shouting is not good.

maggies explanation goes into the right direction:

That whispering is harmful has to do with the fact that the vocal folds are adducted, but not vibrating. The exhaled air then is forced through them. In normal articulation, the vocal folds vibrate and then the resonators basically make this vibration audible.

There has been evidence of just one shout/scream being enough to cause problems.

Its probably whyI'm accused of shouting at the children when I'm just speaking very, very loudly, the sound is produced differently.

Trying to hold conversations during the company dinner-dance-disco can ruin your voice for the whole of the Christmas period

Does anyone find certain brands of toothpaste dries their throat out? Sometimes I have to keep clearing my throat after I've cleaned my teeth. I never clean my teeth before singing in a concert.

A course of singing lessons for £6.85 would be quite a bargain .

Returning to the original topic, I would be concerned about liability. Pinning a thread effectively endorses it - ABRSM staff have to agree to pin a thread....

Students who have shouted at football matches, school sports days, and even one who came immediately after a telesales shift, all had problems singing at their lessons.

That's interesting. I find that I sing much better after cleaning my teeth, and always do so just before a lesson, concert etc. (Maybe it is the brand. I use Colgate - what do you use?)

I read somewhere today (I forget where, but literally this morning!) that toothpaste can dry your mouth out, so if you are prone to a dry mouth from nerves (I know I am, it's horrible!) then it could exacerbate the problem.

I find talking on the phone can really banjax my voice...nothing is as bad as trying to speak in a noisy room (loud pub/noisy restaurant etc) I had nodules a few years ago and the speech therapist basically told me to stop going out till I recovered. Even now there are some pubs I won't go to as I will lose my voice (or start sounding like a squeaky teenage boy, which is very embarrassing!)