 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BenT
Date: 2010-08-07 21:25
Hi All!
I started teaching myself the clarinet a few months ago and have been having a lot of fun. Pardon my frankness but, often when I play phlegm builds up in my throat. If I don't take care of it right away I start to gag. I've done some searching on the internet and can't find anything out about this. Have any of you experienced this problem and do you know of anything I could do to prevent the buildup of phlegm or discreetly take care of it?
Thanks so much!
Ben
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-08-07 22:02
Have you got a bronchial infection or respiratory condition of any kind?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: BenT
Date: 2010-08-07 22:20
Thanks for responding Chris. I've never had any sort of trouble like this before. Allergy season for me is always a breeze. I'll ask my doctor the next time I go in though.
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2010-08-08 09:43
I use to have a problem like that. It has a lot to do with the area you are in and the pollution in the air. If I am in a big city, it get's worse for me.
As you play, you are pushing all the gunk out that has settled in your lungs for years. If you keep practicing daily it usually goes away eventually.
Also, if I don't practice for a while, I will have that problem for the first few days when I get back into a practice routine.
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Author: srattle
Date: 2010-08-08 10:07
I have also had problems similar to this.
I found it had for me something to do with the way I was playing. I would close off the soft palette, closing off air to my nose.
I found all my problems went away when I tried to leave this area open while playing. Maybe that is what is affecting you? Maybe just give that a try for a few days and see if it gets any better.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2010-08-08 11:28
srattle: "I would close off the soft palette, closing off air to my nose. "
???
If the air passage going to the nose is not closed while playing, then the player could not achieve enough air pressure to make the reed work.
Skygardener: "As you play, you are pushing all the gunk out that has settled in your lungs for years. "
Really? There is surely nowhere near enough airflow from the lungs while playing, especially on clarinet, to push up accumulated stuff from there. A cough would be needed.
Bent: "I started teaching myself the clarinet a few months ago and have been having a lot of fun. Pardon my frankness but, often when I play phlegm builds up in my throat."
It sounds more like a mucousy "post-nasal drip" to me. Most likely an allergy or reaction to an infection. A matter to sort out with a GP or ENT specialist, rather than with the jungle doctors in a forum. (And I include myself!) 
Post Edited (2010-08-08 11:28)
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Author: dansil
Date: 2010-08-08 16:51
Hi BenT
I've never been in a jungle myself but have been a GP (Family Doctor) for more about 35 years and to me your problem sounds like a buildup of saliva or, as been suggested by Gordon, a post-nasal drip although this is not particularly likely as you've stated you normally don't have allergy problems which are the commonest cause of post-nasal drip. It doesn't sound like phlegm that's brought up from your lungs while you're playing otherwise you would suffer with a cough or be constantly clearing your throat at other times.
However playing the clarinet can stimulate quite a bit of saliva production. Perhaps it's the stimulation of having the reed and mouthpiece in your mouth.
I don't think that there are any easy or safe ways to deal with this although there are quite a few drugs which doctors prescribe for patients which have dry mouth as an unwanted side-effect eg. the anticholinergic drugs used for urinary problems, some antidepressants and so forth. I hardly think that any doctor will prescribe you a medication for this problems so I think that you'll have to live with it, figure out a way to clear the excess phlegm from your mouth/throat in a discreet way and hope that with time the problem will ease.
Cheers, Danny
=========
a family doctor in Castlemaine, rural Victoria, Australia for the past 30+ years, also a plucked string musician (mandolin, classical guitar) for far too long before discovering the clarinet - what a missed opportunity!
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Author: BenT
Date: 2010-08-08 21:39
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions.
I don't cough and don't have any problems when I'm not playing, so I think it does sound like excess saliva production. Maybe I'll try drinking a lot of water while I play...
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-08-08 23:16
Sounds like you're getting saliva and phlegm mixed up - saliva is generally clear and liquid whereas phlegm is very thick, sticky and opaque, usually coughed up from the lungs as the result of a chest infection.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2010-08-08 23:38
>Skygardener: "As you play, you are pushing all the gunk out that has settled in your lungs for years. "
>Gordon-Really? There is surely nowhere near enough airflow from the lungs while playing, especially on clarinet, to push up accumulated stuff from there. A cough would be needed.
I don't know about you, but my clarinet playing uses more power than my regular breathing. I have a similar problem if I am spending time in areas with high pollution. Also, it get's better after practicing for about a week. I can't say anything beyond that.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-08-08 23:44
But a cough is like a sudden, powerful shunt to release a short burst of fast flowing air to dislodge anything in the lungs, whereas breathing deeply and exhaling while playing any woodwind instrument is usually constant, so that won't dislodge any phlegm.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2010-08-09 01:35
This won't help a severe problem, but staying away from milk, cheese, and other dairy products for about twelve hours before you play should help somewhat.
B.
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Author: BenT
Date: 2010-08-09 02:34
Chris: "Sounds like you're getting saliva and phlegm mixed up"
Your probably right. Its a little thick, but definitely clear. Sorry.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-08-09 09:35
Similarly, sputum and mucus aren't to be confused with saliva.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Mom
Date: 2010-08-09 12:58
Hi BenT,
You might have a condition called "Vasomotor Rhinitis" or "Non-Allergic Rhinitis". This is a mucous-producing condition from the nose and sinuses that is similar to allergies but triggered by other environmental or physical factors. It can be treated with certain types of nose sprays, generally by prescription. Another possibility might be acid reflux. (Quite common even without traditional heartburn symptoms). Best advise as above is to see your doctor first. Very likely you are fixable!
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Author: ddavani
Date: 2010-08-10 02:47
I'm not sure how often or quickly this occurs when practicing, however, I have to deal with a bit of a runny-nose after serious practicing for close to one hour and forty-five minutes. I take a break after this occurs, and I suggest you do that to. When you take your break, blow your nose and then drink a glass of water to re-collect yourself. That's all of the input I can really give.
YOU NEED TO REMEMBER:
If you take this advice, you need to drink only water, not anything else, especially not milk. Playing the clarinet is just like singing, when you drink anything other than water or tea, you will just accumulate more phlegm and it will be even harder to play.
-Dave Davani
http://allclarinet.blogspot.com/
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2010-08-10 09:24
Try a mint or something like that before you start playing.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Brenda ★2017
Date: 2010-08-10 12:13
Ah, this takes me back to the high-school chorus teacher... she advised the students to swallow a small amount of vodka to clear out the mucus in the throat a couple minutes before singing. OK, a small amount means only about one or two tablespoons! Enough to warm the throat down to the upper chest area.
These days there are a couple of products that remove/reduce nasal congestion and wash out the nasal cavity. One is Neilmed´s SinuFlo Ready Rinse. There are other brands, too. These seem to be a glorified, pre-packaged and expensive version of what our family doctor recommended many years ago, using an eye dropper to drip some mild saline solution into the nostrils to clear out infections.
This is all I can recommend... but when I sing, I opt for the vodka!
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2010-08-11 00:54
I had a somewhat similar problem that built over a period of some ten or more years. I was constantly needing to clear my throat. When a pill got seriously and painfully stuck in my throat, I realized that it was more than just an annoyance. I was diagnosed as having a Zinker's Diverticulum (an out-pouching on the dorsal side of the esophagus just above the upper sphincter of the esophagus). By the time it was diagnosed, mine was about 4cm by 5cm. As you might imagine, that caused problems swallowing and contributed to many other issues in that area.
I had the diveerticulum removed and no longer have a problem with needing to frequently clear my throat. However, the muscle of the sphincter was weakened a bit in the process and I expect it will take some time for it to rebuild. I am now able to play for five or ten minutes and then pause to quietly burp out the air that has leaked past the sphincter. I'll leave it to you whether it is a good or bad thing, but neither can I produce a wall rattling belch now.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2010-08-11 03:41
"... but neither can I produce a wall rattling belch now."
Decidely unhealthy! Hehe.
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