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Haze and Your Voice: What You Might Notice, and When to See a Doctor

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Your voice feels different, and the air has been hazy. Is one the cause of the other?

It may be, but it may not. This guide helps you work out what to notice and when to see a doctor. It isn’t medical advice.

What haze can do

The Ministry of Health (MOH) says that for healthy people, short-term exposure to haze generally won’t cause major health problems, other than irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. It adds that the health impact depends on your health status, the PSI level, and how long and how hard you’re active outdoors [1]. Children, the elderly, people with chronic lung or heart disease, and pregnant women should take more care [1][2].

What you might notice

  • A dry or scratchy throat. MOH says drinking plenty of water may help a dry or itchy throat [2].
  • A raspy, strained or tired-sounding voice. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) describes hoarseness this way, and says your throat might feel scratchy [3]. A cold, flu or allergy can feel the same, so it’s hard to say whether haze is the cause.
  • A cough. Clinics list a dry cough among the common symptoms when the air is poor [4][5].
  • A blocked or runny nose, or sore or watery eyes. These often go along with the others [1][7].

Symptoms can take up to three days to appear, so think back over the last few days [2].

It’s hard to tell by yourself

Haze symptoms can look like a cold, flu or an allergy [4]. It’s hard to tell by yourself, and a doctor can help work out the cause.

See a doctor if you notice

  • difficulty breathing, wheezing or chest tightness [2][4][5];
  • worsening asthma, or your usual medication isn’t controlling your symptoms [4];
  • a cough or sore throat that persists or gets worse [4][5];
  • a fever, especially with breathlessness or chest pain [6];
  • a voice that has been hoarse for more than three weeks, especially without a cold or flu [3];
  • pain when speaking or swallowing, difficulty swallowing, a lump in your neck, or coughing up blood [3];
  • a complete loss of voice lasting more than a few days [3].

If you have difficulty breathing, see a doctor promptly. NIDCD advises seeing a doctor in the hoarseness cases above. We’d add one thing of our own: please don’t sing through any of these until you’ve been checked.

What to do with your voice in the meantime

Keep singing short and easy, talk less in noisy places, sip water, and rest. See our guide Look After Your Voice on a Haze Day: Simple Habits

What a voice teacher can and can’t do

A voice teacher can’t diagnose what’s causing a change in your voice. Vocalogy provides voice training and coaching, and we don’t diagnose or treat medical problems. Once a doctor is happy, we can help you ease back into singing.

The bottom line

A different-sounding voice during the haze can have more than one explanation, and you can’t always tell which by yourself. Notice what changes, look after your voice in the meantime, and see a doctor if you have trouble breathing, wheezing, chest tightness, symptoms that persist or worsen, or a voice that stays hoarse for more than three weeks. Once a doctor is happy, a voice teacher can help you ease back into singing.

Where to start

Explore 1:1 coaching when you’re ready, or ask us on WhatsApp.

References

    1. Ministry of Health, Singapore. Haze. https://www.moh.gov.sg/others/haze/
    2. Ministry of Health, Singapore. FAQ: Impact of Haze on Health. https://www.moh.gov.sg/newsroom/faq-impact-of-haze-on-health/
    3. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Hoarseness (fact sheet, updated October 2011). https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/Documents/health/voice/NIDCD-Hoarseness.pdf
    4. Doctor Plus. Haze in Singapore: How to Protect Your Health and When to See a Doctor. https://drplus.com.sg/articles/haze-in-singapore-how-to-protect-your-health-and-when-to-see-a-doctor/
    5. Parkway Shenton. How the Haze Can Affect Your Health. https://www.parkwayshenton.com.sg/health-plus/article/singapore-haze-health
    6. Yahoo News Singapore. Small uptick in polyclinic, emergency room visits in Singapore due to haze: MOH. https://sg.news.yahoo.com/small-uptick-polyclinic-emergency-room-090500150.html
    7. Mount Elizabeth. Haze in Singapore: Effects on Your Sinus Problems. https://www.mountelizabeth.com.sg/health-plus/article/haze-sinus-health