Question:
I've been sick since Friday and completely lost my voice. My throat feels like it's on fire. I'm wondering if you have any remedies or advice around caring for my voice box.
Ken's Response:
Many things.
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Start with Listerine. Gargle religiously every 30 minutes. (generic brand is ok)
When you gargle, you must feel the burn in your throat for about 20-30 seconds.
(yes it's a bitch and it hurts, but it works.) -
Tons of water.
Halls cough drops.
Reduce alcohol and caffeine (except tea).
Drink hot tea with honey.
Plenty of hot soup to coat your throat. -
Rest and sleep.
Stay away from acidic things like orange juice.
I recommend sugary things that will help produce mucus to lubricate your throat.
An occasional hot brandy or warm cognac will help at night. -
Don't just let your throat sit idle. You must gargle a lot and swallow hot liquids to get rid of the infection.
You must be diligent in your effort, or it will linger longer than you want. -
Even though you may not feel like eating, swallowing will help scrap away the junk
from your throat. Eat smaller meals more often.
Chuck's Response:
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What I would add is to be careful with your voice as you recover;
it’s not necessary to be on total voice rest, but whenever you speak,
use all the technique Ken has been teaching us.
Every time. Every single time. Don’t utter a sound without using proper technique. - Don’t try to project your voice. If someone is over there, get closer.
- If there’s competing noise, don’t talk over it but turn it down, go somewhere else or save it for later.
- Don’t stage whisper; that’s as rough on your vocal cords as screaming.
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When you are gargling, do it without phonating. What you are gargling with isn’t
doing anything to your vocal cords but is working on the rest of your throat
(if it touched your vocal cords, it would trigger a violent cough).