To become a great singer, you need to protect your voice. Keep these everyday voice considerations in mind to keep your singing beautiful:

• Alcohol: Alcohol dilates blood vessels in your body, which is not such a good thing for your vocal cords if you plan to sing. When the blood vessels dilate, the blood thins and comes to the surface, which makes you more susceptible to a hemorrhage on your vocal cords. Limit your intake of alcohol to those days that you don't have to practice or perform and drink plenty of water on those days that you do choose to drink, because alcohol dehydrates you.
• Cigarette smoke: The smoke often causes inflammation of the tissues in the throat and that makes it more difficult to sing. Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke at all times.
• Clearing your throat: If you're a habitual throat clearer, now is the time to break that habit and find out the root of the problem. Excessive throat clearing can be caused by mucus buildup from postnasal drip or acid reflux. Swallow instead of clearing your throat and talk with your doctor about the cause. For many singers, throat clearing is just an unconscious habit that results from trying to clear the vocal cords for singing. Singing with a little mucus won't hurt.
• Food: Dairy products often cause mucus to build up, which causes you to clear your throat frequently. Some people claim that spicy foods don't enhance their singing. Pay attention to how your body reacts to certain foods, so you know what to avoid the day before or day of a big concert or performance.
• Pollen or dust: Sensitivities to allergens may cause the vocal folds and throat to swell. Ask your doctor for suggestions to help with allergy problems. In the meantime, take some basic precautions: Clean your house on a regular basis to prevent dust bunnies from collecting; choose non-allergenic materials for your bed linens; and avoid areas with large quantities of dust. Listen to the local weather report to find out the pollen count. Most areas have higher pollen counts in the early morning or early evening. If you limit outdoor activities to the middle of the day, you're less likely to encounter the highest levels of pollen.
• Medications (such as antihistamines): Just about anything you can find to help you with the symptoms of a runny nose or watery eyes dries out your throat. If you need to take the medications, drink more water, so you don't get dry when you sing. You may also want to avoid the medications on the days that you have to do plenty of singing.