

This can help by keeping vocal folds hydrated, helping with the vibration of the vocal folds and therefore reducing roughness and hoarseness. Research suggests using a humidifier might be an effective option. Make sure to visit your GP at first, who may recommend a speech pathologist or ENT specialist. If your voice takes more than a week or two to recover, or you’re worried about your voice, it’s good to seek medical advice. Delaying treatment could have further negative consequences if your voice issues are due to something more sinister than a cold or flu.
#COUGHING UP MUCUS AND LOSING VOICE PROFESSIONAL#
What’s more, if you’re using home remedies, you might delay seeking professional medical attention, for example from a speech pathologist or an ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT). Lemon is acidic, and so are some teas, so having a lot of them could actually lead to acid reflux coming up the oesophagus and irritating your throat and vocal folds. One thing to beware, especially if you have a reflux disorder, is consuming excessive amounts of tea and lemon. Persian Poet Gal/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY Your epiglottis stops food and drink from going down your windpipe, which means it prevents your lemon and honey tea from touching your voice box. Voice quality issues can be brought on by viral infections, overuse or misuse of our voice, damage to the vocal folds, or nodules and polyps which are benign, noncancerous growths than can form on the vocal folds. There are many reasons we can develop problems with our voice. Research suggests up to 30% of us will develop some form of voice disorder in our lifetimes. Here’s what actually helps you recover a lost voice.Ĭurious Kids: why might you wake up without a voice? And there’s a dearth of information out there on what actually works for treating voice issues.Īs a speech pathologist and lecturer in voice disorders, I help people with voice issues every day.

However, put simply, there’s no evidence these home remedies work to recover a lost voice. Websites abound with proposed solutions including ginger, lemon, salt water gargles, and tea with honey. Wash your hands often, and avoid contact with people who have upper respiratory infections such as colds.Losing our voice, having a hoarse voice, or having any difficulties with our voice can be challenging, especially for those who need to use it for work.įor centuries, and across different cultures, people have believed home remedies to be a handy solution for different illnesses. Clearing your throat also causes your throat to secrete more mucus and feel more irritated, making you want to clear your throat again. This does more harm than good, because it causes an abnormal vibration of your vocal cords and can increase swelling. These foods can also help keep the mucous membranes in the throat healthy. These have several vitamins, such as vitamins A, E and C, that are important for overall health. Include a variety of healthy foods in your diet.This can lead to heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Spicy foods can cause stomach acid to go into the throat or esophagus. Fluids help keep the mucus in your throat thin and easy to clear. These cause you to lose total body water.

It can also cause your vocal cords to become irritated. Avoid smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke.To prevent dryness or irritation to your vocal cords:
