It's the number of health issues that start surfacing.

Two years ago, I had my first slipped disc surgery due to compression on the discs around my lower back. Early last year, I went for another one, this time nearer to my neck. Somewhere in there now sits a titanium clip that will remain long after my body goes up in the furnace.

But the health issue I'm still grappling with? GERD. And if you've never heard of it, stick around – because it might be what's been quietly wrecking your voice too.

Here's the thing: I was in choir throughout high school and could sing pretty well. I auditioned for competitions. Even though singing never became my career, I always walked into a KTV session knowing I'd impress someone. That confidence carried me through my entire 20s and 30s.

But when I hit my 40s, something was off.

I could no longer hit the high notes I used to nail, let alone falsettos. Initially, I chalked it up to being rusty – I wasn't singing as much as before. So I'd practice occasionally when driving alone in my car, belting out old favourites.

No matter how much I practised, things didn't improve. In fact, they got worse. Some days my throat felt so stuffy I could barely speak without clearing my voice incessantly.

Could it be a technique thing? I can't believe I fell for that myself, but I signed up for a voice projection course thinking it would fix everything. Eight lessons and several hundred dollars later, I was exactly where I started. Turns out you can't technique your way out of a medical problem – though apparently I needed to learn that the expensive way.

It took a routine dental checkup to crack the case.

My dentist pointed at my teeth and said, "The surface is highly eroded. This is probably from excessive acid production in your stomach flowing upward – especially when you're sleeping – into your mouth." He paused. "And if this isn't taken care of, it'll burn your throat too."

EUREKA.

My throat issue wasn't from underusing my vocal cords or using them wrong. It was a health condition that had taken me more than five years to identify.

This is exactly why I'm sharing this. A year ago, when I posted about my second slipped disc surgery, it reached someone who'd been experiencing the same pain for years. My story motivated her to see the neurosurgeon who operated on me, and she finally resolved the pain that had plagued her for half a decade. If this post does the same for even one person with mysterious throat issues, it's worth writing.

I went to see a GP who referred me to an ENT specialist. After scoping my throat, he confirmed it: GERD.

GERD – Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease – is basically chronic acid reflux on steroids. Your stomach acid regularly backs up into your esophagus and throat, causing damage over time. For a month, I was on medication to suppress the acid overproduction and bring me back to baseline. And oh my god, my throat hadn't felt that liberated in years.

But medication is only half the equation. The tougher part? The diet restrictions. GERD is triggered by food, and I was told to avoid:

The Annoying Stuff: citrus, tomatoes, mint

The Painful Losses: fatty and fried foods, chocolate, coffee and tea

The Soul-Crushing Eliminations: garlic and onion (which are in everything)

When I saw this list, I was stunned. So many items were my daily staples. This sounded worse than keto.

But GERD doesn't give a shit about your feelings. I know because I tested it. Sneaking in a coffee? Instant regret. One piece of KFC? Nearly turned into a sore throat. Even this morning, I tried having coffee again. Didn't go well.

I'm already supplementing with Nexium, which my dentist recommended after discovering the erosion. Getting that drug was surprisingly difficult – until I miraculously found it in a vending machine while stuck at San Francisco airport. (Yes, apparently American airports sell prescription-strength antacids in vending machines. What a country.)

Now I get my supply from JB pharmacies, where prescriptions aren't needed, because cross-border healthcare arbitrage is apparently part of my life now.

My current regimen: Nexium 30 minutes before breakfast and dinner, plus Weisen-U after dinner (I switched from Gaviscon because it tastes like liquid chalk). The situation has improved significantly, though there are days when I ask for trouble by eating things I shouldn't.

Here's something else: because excess acid causes heartburn, I'd been waking up with a heavy chest. For a long time, I genuinely thought I was developing depression. Nope. Just heartburn masquerading as existential dread.

If you're suffering from similar symptoms – mysterious voice loss, chronic throat stuffiness, unexplained chest heaviness – please do yourself a favour and get checked. Especially if, like me, your job requires you to talk.

I spent five years losing my voice to something I didn't even know I had. You don't have to.

Don't lose your voice to GERD. Or at least, don't lose it for five years before figuring out what's actually wrong.

Adrian Tan
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