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Laryngitis Home Remedies
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The most noticeable symptoms are the loss of voice or hoarseness. The throat may also be raw or tickle, and those with laryngitis often feel an urge to clear their throats.
The common cold and other viral infections of the upper airways are the most common causes of laryngitis. Laryngitis may also accompany the flu, bronchitis, pneumonia, measles, whooping cough, or any infection of the upper airways. As any opera singer will tell you, excessive use of the voice, exposure to tobacco smoke, even allergic reactions, can bring it on, too.
What's the physical cause of all those bad vibrations? For you to sound like you, the air you exhale through your larynx—that voice box commonly known as your Adam's apple—has to vibrate through your vocal cords in just the right way. When the cords are scarred or swollen, they don't create the right shaped "container" for that air. That allows breath to escape.
Even a slight change in the vocal cords can render a person's voice unrecognizable. The vocal cords contain a central muscle bundle, various layers of connective tissue, and a skinlike covering called the mucosa. "An alteration in any one of these layers can disrupt the optimal vibration through the tissue," says Scott Kessler, M.D.
If your timbre is now as deep and croaky as Lauren Bacall's, follow these tips to recover your true voice.
When to call a doctor
If your voice loss is accompanied by pain so severe that you have trouble swallowing your own saliva, see a physician immediately, says George T. Simpson II, M.D. Swelling in the upper part of your larynx may be blocking your airway.
You should also contact your physician if you find yourself coughing up blood, hear noises in your throat when you breathe, or find that continued voice rest does nothing to alleviate your hoarseness. When laryngitis persists, it may signal the presence of a throat tumor. In any case, consult your doctor if your voice doesn't return to normal within 3 to 5 days.
Panel of Advisors
Robert Feder, M.D., was a former professor of drama and a former professor of otolaryngology at UCLA.
Scott Kessler, M.D., is a New York City otolaryngologist specializing in performing-arts medicine. He is the physician for many of the performers at the Metropolitan Opera and the City Opera, as well as for cast members of Broadway plays and cabarets, and for recording artists, such as Madonna and Mick Jagger. Dr. Kessler is also on the staffs of Mount Sinai and Beth Israel Hospitals in New York City.
Laurence Levine, M.D., D.D.S., is an associate clinical professor of otolaryngology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and an otolaryngologist in Creve Coeur and St. Charles, Missouri.
George T. Simpson II, M.D., was chairman of the department of otolaryngology at Boston University School of Medicine, University Hospital, and Boston City Hospital. He was also a member of the scientific advisory committee for the Voice Foundation.
Remedies
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Don't strain, amplify
If your job requires you to raise your voice to be heard, use mechanical means to make yourself louder.
Honey’s the trick
My grandmother always gave us a spoonful of warm honey whenever we got raspy throats.
Steam it away
Steaming can also restore moisture. Robert Feder, M.D., a doctor and singing coach, suggests hanging your head over a steaming bowl of water for 5 minutes twice a day.
Choose your cough drops wisely
Avoid mint and mentholated products, says Dr. Feder. They can temporarily paralyze your throat muscles and slow down the recovery process.
Don't talk
No matter what triggered the laryngitis, the most important thing you can do for your voice is to give it a rest, says Laurence Levine, M.D., D.D.S. Try to go a day or two without talking.
Drink plenty of fluids
Dr. Simpson favors 8 to 10 glasses a day, preferably water. Dr. Feder recommends juice and tea with honey or lemon.
Consider voice training
If you find yourself speaking a lot, consider getting some voice training. In a nontrained voice, the muscles that suspend the larynx strain against each other, says Dr. Levine.
Don't even whisper
If you have to communicate, pass notes. "Whispering causes you to bang your vocal cords together as strongly as if you were shouting," explains George T. Simpson II, M.D.
Don't use ice
Warm fluids are best, says Dr. Feder. Cold drinks can just aggravate the problem.
Breathe through your nose
"Breathing through your nose is a natural humidifier," says Dr. Kessler. "People who have a deviated nasal septum breathe through the mouth while asleep.
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Choose your cough drops wisely
Don't talk
Use a cold-air humidifier