Celine Dion Silenced?

Pop diva Celine Dion’s “Heart Will Go On”, but her singing can not.

The superstar is being forced to rest her voice for 6 to 8 weeks because of laryngitis!

Dion, who headlines a show at Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace, was diagnosed with a viral illness and weakness in her right vocal cord by Ears, Nose and Throat specialist Dr. Gerald Burke at UCLA.

In a statement, Dion said:

I tried to sing at my sound check last week, and I had no control of my voice whatsoever… We thought that after a few days’ rest I would improve, but it wasn’t getting any better.

Obviously this is the worst thing for a singer … not being able to do your shows. … I feel worse knowing that I’m disappointing my fans. I’m so sorry … I hope they forgive me.

Dion’s sold out show, Celine, will resume on June 9.

“The human voice is the organ of the soul.”

—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The larynx, or voice box, lies at the top of the windpipe (trachea), just below where the back of the throat (pharynx), just below the back of the tongue. The larynx is made up a skeleton of consists of nine cartilages.

Housed within the larynx are the vocal cords -two folds of smooth muscle.

Air passing from the lungs larynx causes the vocal cords to vibrate and produce the sound of your voice.

Laryngitis is swelling and irritation (inflammation) of the voice box (larynx). When the vocal cords swell, they vibrate differently. This can lead to hoarseness.
The most common form of laryngitis is an infection caused by a virus, such as cold or flu viruses.

It may also be caused by allergies, bronchitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritants or chemicals, injury from vocal trauma, or pneumonia.

Symptoms can include fever, hoarseness, and swollen lymph nodes or glands in the neck.

Because laryngitis is usually caused by a virus, antibiotics are not used to treat laryngitis.

Resting your voice helps by reducing inflammation of the vocal cords. Drinking lots of fluids and using a humidifier may soothe the scratchy feeling that comes with laryngitis.
Serious injury to the vocal cords can result from strenuous voice use during an episode of acute laryngitis.

It’s been a pretty bad year for singers’ vocal cords. We’ve recently done stories about Adele, John Mayer, Lauren Alaina, and R. Kelly.

Rest up Celine, and hopefully you’ll soon be singing “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” !