How to cure gag reflex when singing or talking

[MaggyDoyle]

For over a year now, I’ve had almost continuous manifestation of that symptom: as I practice (I’m a professional singer) or talk (mainly when I’m on the phone or in a car or in the morning), I feel the irrepressible need to gag in mid sentence.
(I also work part-time several days a week answering phone calls almost non-stop for 8 hours a day, and I know it’s not helping!)

I’m talking or singing perfectly fine, and all of a sudden I feel fatigued in my body and just want to stop everything, take deep breaths and yawn.
If I don’t do it immediately, I have a strong gag once or twice.
Accompaniing it with an “open” cough makes it easier and more efficient, but is bad for my vocal chords.
Stretching your tongue by sticking it out makes it worse instead of relaxing my muscles.
Pressing on the joints on each side of my jaw temporarily relief the incoming gag reflex, but is not a permanent solution.

The muscles of my neck (back and front) are always from mildly to extremely tense. My larynx too. I was in great pain for weeks when I started the part-time job, even on my days off.
My upper back and shoulders are tense too, and I’ve had pain coming up from under one shoulder blade to my ear (it’s not going that high anymore now, but it’s not gone either).
I’ve also felt as if I had bruised each lower side under my jaw or had toothaches there!! Thankfully, not anymore.

--> Where does the gag reflex/impossibly to talk normally come from?

—> Is it only due to back tension or is the tension coming from somewhere else?

—> What can I do to come back to normal?

Thank you!

[gogol77]

When I sing, especially when I try to shoot up my volume as well as the notes, my gag reflex is often triggered. And sometimes it happens while speaking too. Often a burp will completely relax this condition.

[MaggyDoyle]

So I finally got the answer!!!!!

I had several cervical vertebrae out of place, especially the C2 through which the nerve playing a big deal in vision and gag reflex among other things.

In only 1 visit to to chiropractor, the gag reflex disappeared!! After all these months of pain!
It did came back a little few days later, after a short night and a lot of using my voice. But it was way less than before. Another visit to the doctor helped: I had other things out of place, and after such a long time in that state, muscles have a tendency to go back to the position they've known for so long.

But I finally know where it came from AND have the solution to fix it permanently!!

[jefelex]

Yay!!!

[jefelex]

This may seem a little strange, but try a different chair when you are sitting talking on the phone, since your upper back is so sore - you may not have the right posture position while you sit, and that can have far reaching complications in your neck and upper body muscles (since they are all connected together to hold your head upright)

Hope you find out why!  :)

[badsleep316]

This might sound weird but squeeze your left thumb into your hand. Its a pressure point. You may have a large uvula. This is just a quick fix, try speaking to your dentist, they may be able to help with a permanent cure!