Hoarseness
Did you spend the weekend partying at the triplex and singing along to songs at the highlighter pause dance? Did you shout at a sporting event and feel vocally rough afterward? If your voice is generally healthy and flexible, here’s a recovery recipe.
- Rest the voice as much as possible for 2 to 3 days.
- Drink 2 or 3 liters of water, depending on your size. Drink no alcohol or coffee.
- Breathe steam for 5 to 10 minutes, 1 to 2 times each day.
- For 1 to 2 minutes every hour or two throughout the day, use one of the following exercises.
- Light, easy humming on a medium tone or on pitch glides up and down.
- Light, easy oooh through a straw in medium- to high-pitch range.
Note: Do not force the voice. If it’s hard to make sound, stay quiet.
- No weight lifting or heavy labor that involves holding your breath at all.
- Excellent self-care in general (healthy meals, moderate exercise, prayer/meditation, and good sleep).
- See a laryngologist if you experience any of the following:
- Voice disappears in an instant
- You feel pain in your voice or throat
- There is no improvement in 2 to 3 days
- You’re voice doesn’t return to normal in 10 to 14 days
Everyone wants a magic pill to make hoarseness disappear. All you can do is follow the above guidelines and make problems disappear from your future life – by preventing them before they start.