Irritable larynx syndrome

We all experience a cough at one point or another when singing: the singer's cough. However, there are different types of coughs and different causes for these coughs that can make it hard to know what to do.

Here I will explain why we cough sometimes when singing and how you can stop it from happening.

Both a dry and productive cough can be eased with steam.

Constant tickle in throat, causing coughing

A dry cough is caused by excess airflow irritating the vocal folds, which is prevented with breathing techniques. A productive cough can be from irritation, infection, dehydration or poor diet and is prevented by treating the underlying issue.

This is just a brief summary of the two types of singer's cough, but I will explain each in more detail below.

I will also discuss what to do if you are in the middle of a performance, so that you can make it to the end of the song.

Singer's Cough: A 'Dry Tickle' Cough

The Cause

A tickle in your throat, followed by a dry cough, is an indication that your vocal cords are irritated.

This is usually caused by dry vocal cords from

singing from the throat