worried about permanent vocal damage
hi, i’m 23 years old and have been singing since i can remember. i don’t take lessons anymore but would still sing casually. this past november i was singing a particularly hard song without warming up (i know it’s bad) and my throat started really hurting after, and it didn’t go away for a week or two. i didn’t go and get it checked bc everyone told me it was just a cold but even singing a little bit now hurts my throat into the next couple of days. im really worried it’s something serious and im kicking myself for not advocating to see an EMT doctor with my provider. i dont have insurance at the moment, and wont until the beginning of june.
my main symptoms are vocal fatigue (i notice it after singing a tiny bit, the next day my voice gives out after talking all day. my job is customer facing), throat feeling tight around the middle and hoarseness. any guidance would be helpful, thank you.