Refluxive Defense

A reader (whose email inbox is full) writes in response to this post:

I wouldn't necessarily be too hard on Ashlee Simpson. It sounds like a joke, but acid reflux can be a very real problem for those who rely on their voices to make a living. A bad attack can indeed cause someone to lose their voice. Lesser attacks can cause the voice to be distorted, as well as making it very difficult to sing smoothly and in tune. (As a periodic sufferer of reflux, I can attest to this.) I would give Ashlee the benefit of the doubt. Whether she should have relied on lip-synching instead of cancelling the performance altogether is another question.