A Chicago laryngologist shows what serious illness does to the airway — and the exact breathing, medication and trauma-informed steps that bring singers back.

Dr. H. Steven Sims, director of the Chicago Institute for Voice Care, takes you inside what happens to a singer's instrument after COVID or any major illness. You will see real operative footage of scar bands and subglottic narrowing left behind by breathing tubes, learn why lung capillary damage undermines the whole generator-vibrator-resonator chain, and hear which medications he uses for nerve recovery and neurogenic cough. He then lays out the rehabilitation side: belly breathing and positional exercises, the incentive spirometer, humming, and the six principles of trauma-informed care. Essential viewing for teachers guiding students back from illness, plus a candid Q&A with laryngologists and teachers.