Dr. Reena Gupta

Fragile Vocal Cords: Lauren Conrad’s Raspy Voice

by Dr. Reena Gupta
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  Reality star turned entrepreneur, Lauren Conrad, recently discussed how her voice has changed over the years. Conrad’s pre-MTV reality show voice is less raspy than the voice she currently uses, a fact which she blames on moving to Los Angeles. “I destroyed my voice when I moved to L.A.  There are polyps all over [...]

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HPV of the throat: How are adults affected?

by Dr. Ryan Osborne
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  Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a virus that causes many different diseases.  Most women become familiar with this virus when a routine pap smear turns up unexpectedly abnormal.  This often occurs when HPV infects the cervix, causing the cells to change, and resulting in a risk of developing cervical cancer. Attention is now being [...]

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Beyonce Cancels Shows: Dehydration and the Voice

by Dr. Reena Gupta
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  Beyonce announced the cancellation of a show in Belgium.  The May 14, 2013 show was cancelled under doctor’s orders, reportedly due to “exhaustion and dehydration.”  But the rumor mill churned out tales of pregnancy, and speculation began as to whether or not this was the real reason for the cancellation. Can dehydration and exhaustion affect [...]

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The larynx in action: What happens when I…?

by Dr. Reena Gupta
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  The most common questions I’m asked when I talking to people about vocal health and vocal anatomy start with “What happens when I…” followed by “sing in falsetto” or “do a voiceover in a character voice” or some other vocal task. This is not surprising.  The voice is a mysterious instrument, mostly so because [...]

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Stevie Nicks Voice Changes: Can a Perforated Septum Affect Your Voice?

by Dr. Reena Gupta
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  Stevie Nicks has come back onto the stage in a big way.  The current Fleetwood Mac tour has shed the spotlight on her once again, and among other topics, she is opening up about her struggles with drug addiction. Among the most prominent tales in Nicks’s lore is that of the hole in her [...]

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Vocal Health and Nasal/ Sinus Irrigation

by Dr. Reena Gupta
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  One of the reasons I love lecturing groups of performers so much is that it keeps me in touch with issues that are of concern to them.  Though I regularly see singers in my practice as a laryngologist, I find I usually can’t predict what singers worry about.  For example, when I discussed vocal [...]

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Nathan Sykes Has Vocal Surgery: Vocal Hemorrhages and Masses

by Dr. Reena Gupta
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  Add to the ever-growing list of singers who need vocal surgery the lead singer of The Wanted, Nathan Sykes.  Already on the road to recovery, Sykes is now in a period of voice rest and rehabilitation after having surgery. Reports state the surgery was an emergency and that he had suffered a hemorrhage. Given [...]

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Lindsay Lohan on Letterman : What Makes a Voice Hoarse?

by Dr. Reena Gupta
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  In reviewing Lindsay Lohan’s appearance on David Letterman’s show, most are focusing on the content, which included cringe-inducing questions about her addicitons and stints in rehab.  While these moments offered their own insights into her struggles, what continued to speak to me was the quality of her voice.  I’d discussed this before, after her [...]

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The Effects of Marijuana on the Voice

by Dr. Reena Gupta
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  Does marijuana affect the voice? Question: I smoke marijuana casually.  When I heard that smoking a joint might damage my voice, I switched to a vaporizer.  My voice does feel better now that I’ve made that switch.  Is smoking marijuana through a vaporizer safe or am I still doing damage to my voice? Answer: [...]

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Male falsetto: Kris Thomas on The Voice

by Dr. Reena Gupta
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  The shocked expression on Usher’s face said it all.  His disbelief that Kris Thomas is a man was echoed by two of the other judges as well, and not without cause.  Thomas is a young man who sang a Whitney Houston song (Saving All my Love For You) in the original key, hitting the [...]

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Free Voice Screenings at Musicares Healthy Essentials

by Dr. Reena Gupta
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In Celebration of World Voice Day 2013  Osborne Head & Neck Institute and MusiCares are pleased to offer  FREE Voice Screenings  for PROFESSIONAL VOCALISTS!  SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2013  8am – 12pm  OSBORNE HEAD & NECK INSTITUTE  Cedars-Sinai Medical Towers  8631 W. Third Street, Suite 945E  Los Angeles, CA 90048  Without proper health coverage, access to [...]

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