quick remedy for laryngitis

[children&art]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 5:48pm

if you start losing your voice and getting really hoarse, what is a remedy that really works and can work fairly quickly?

[starletta8]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 6:06pm

Do you need to talk? Or sing?

Often you can sing through times when you're losing your speaking voice.

There's also been some fabulous threads about throat care that I've seen around here- including one about performers getting sick during a run (if I remember correctly).

Don't forget lots of hot tea and steaming!

[Natalie 2]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 6:29pm

Slippery Elm (found in Throat Coat tea), tons of water and do not speak! I also found a great cough spray made by Zicam.

[DefyingGravity4]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 9:42pm

avoid anything citrusy (like orange juice)!
the acid will only aggravate your vocal chords more. drink TONS of fluids, wear a scarf to keep your muscles warm, and rest as much as possible.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 9:51pm

Yeah there's nothing quick. All of these things well help, but it's really gonna take a few days. it's like a broken ankle. You have to stay off of it. As far as things to do what everyone said, just stay awat from Cortisone shots and other steroids. I mean some things feel better for you than your voice. Wearing a scarf really doesn't make much difference. That's why you have skin, but it can't hurt. Water and tea and Zicam and vitamins all help, but just stay off of it. DO NOT sing over it, it'll only get worse. You have one set of folds. Whatever comes out of your throat by way sound is from the same source that is puffy and swollen. YOu just have to wait until your chords go down.

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 9:54pm

Also, not quite for hoarsness, but being hoarse and congested is the worse, so no dairy. I personally can't stand tea, so I drink hot water with honey (gross, but I really can't drink tea) and I steam for a while every day. Also, if you really need your voice back, get lots of sleep, and don't talk...you'll still be able to type on here!!

Posted: 1/12/06 at 12:22am

i don't agree about the steroids comment....do you have ANY IDEA how many Broadway performers need to do that in an emergency?! i am not saying that they are THE solution, they are extremely dangerous and make you feel like superman and often you can REALLY do some damage..under a GOOD doctor's care and a good voice teacher who can help you make healthy adjustments and reminds you NOT to push even though you feel like you can..sometimes the use of steroids can get you through in a real bind.... sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do and the show MUST go on!
so the question is...what is the occassion? do you have time to do complete vocal rest? are you getting ready to do something long term or is it a one shot deal? if you were already specific please forgive me, i forgot already...
anyway...the best thing to do is NOT talk and steam a lot and drink WARM drinks, tea or warm jello(thats MY personal fav), get a LOT of sleep..DO NOT SING...and it would be good to go to the doc to make sure you don't have an infection or a worst case scenario, you're not developing nodes or something that would cause you permanant damage.
there is no quick cure...the steroids are NOT something to just "pop" whenever you have a problem...i don't condone the use of them at all...but i don't judge those who have had to use them..i have had to use them on occassions over the years, like for an opening night when i had bronchitis..i coughed myself into laryngitis and one other time when my understudy was deathly ill and i HAD to go on sick...these are EXTREME situations.
PM me if you want more info other than here on the board.
but FIRST...go to a doctor and make sure they check your chords.
good luck,
a~

Posted: 1/12/06 at 12:48am

and jazzy..please don't think i am trying to be difficult...i agree with you that one should stay away from cortisone/steroids...just so you know.
but it is important to know the circumstances...

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 12:53am

Ummmm yeah no that's just not a good idea. This is coming from the top larynolosist in the country, who I've been too several times. Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do is the reason why you get people like Julie Andrews. You've got one set of chords and there is NO producer who would force me to take them. This is why you get the Audra McDonald rumors. She knows that regardless of how sick she is, she's not going on sick. Even if it's a Carnegie Hall concert. How many Opera singers do you think take steroids? I mean sure one time won't kill you, but you could be singing over damaged chords. You've got one voice protect it. Listen I'm not judging anyone, but I'm just saying they're not safe generally. I would stay away from them. They're not natural and stay in your body for several days after the effects have gone. Because a Broadway performer does it doens't mean it's healthy and good.

Posted: 1/12/06 at 1:02am

i agree 100%...phew! i was scared you were gonna get mad at me..
its NOT GOOD...but again...under a GOOD doctors care..not julie andrews doc..the steroid thing CAN be successful.
i think the damage comes from the patient being uninformed about how to handle down time and how to handle the fact that they can actually easily hit the notes at all when they were barely speaking a couple of hours before..i have some HORROR stories..
one girl i did a show with was on those thing every other week becase she was under SO much pressure from the producers, composer and the fans to go on...but she felt like superman and would WAIL on notes that she didn't WAIL on before and she would feel GREAT and go out after the shows and drink, party..etc...
THAT WOULD BE VERY BAD!
for a long term run..i say rest the chords and let the understudy do the job they are getting paid to do...if i had a big concert for ONE night and i lost my voice..i would absolutely do what i needed to do. oh..and they make you a little wacky and moody..bad side effects!

[greenifyed]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 1:03am

Halls Fruit Breezer cough drops melted in hot tea with two teaspoons of honey. Don't drink it piping hot -- make sure it's warm, but not too warm. You don't want to burn your vocal chords!

Posted: 1/12/06 at 1:07am

oooooooo....i love the halls melted in tea!! thats best when you have dripping on the chords cause it helps dry it up..BUT if you're already DRY..the menthol is more drying...so again..
we can all have our opinions but in the end Children&art..get yourself to an ENT ASAP!
jazzy..who is your otolaryngologist?

[voztimbrada]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 3:20pm

I thought I would take this opportunity to add my two cents on throat care. I agree with most of the previous points. It should be noted, however, that when you drink tea, or honey, or water, or anything, nothing ever actually comes into contact with your vocal chords. The vocal chords are located at the top of the wind pipe, connected to the lungs. Food and liquids go down the opening that connects to your stomach. So when you swallow a liquid, your wind pipe closes off, and the liquid completely bypasses your chords all together. Now, that being said, liquids help with the dryness in other areas of the throat and mouth, and staying hydrated will help your mouth produce more saliva, so your chords don't get too dry. But I always hear people talking about things that "coat your chords", and that is tecnically not possible. If your chords were coated in honey, you would be gagging and couging like there was no tommorow. My intention here is not to argue, but to perhaps shed a little light on reasonable approaches to throat care. Keeping that in mind might help one take a better and more educated approach to dealing with a hoarse singing voice. I am not a doctor, but as a singer, I have tried everything. Remedies like tea, honey, etc. mostly are a comfort to the pain we feel in our throats when we are sick, or tired.... especially during the winter. Their value for the ailing vocal chords, however, is fairly minimal, aside from providing some hydration. If the tea is caffienated, it can even serve to de-hydrate, as caffiene is a diarhettic (Sp?). Not a good thing for swollen chords. Anyway, in my experience, the absolute best remedy for swollen chords due to sickness, post nasal drip, or overuse, is as follows:

1. As much sleep as possible when you go to bed at night... 10 hours or more if you can get it (this is when your body heals itself)

2. If you must perform, have a long, slow, very gentle warm up throughout the day. Ten minutes here, ten minutes there, periodically throughout the day... always very, very gently and quietly, always sure not to overdo it. Then a long easy warm up building to performance level at least and hour or two before the performance. Followed by 15 minutes of rest right before you go on stage (only sing a few phrases immediately before your entrance to clear the phlegm). This way you are as warmed up as you can get, but not too tired before you perform. Chords that aren't warmed up undergo much more strain than ones that are. Singing without warming up enough prolongs the problem, and when your sick or hoarse, the voice takes a much longer warm up in order for it to behave the way you want it too.

3. Remove all abuses from the chords. Don't talk if you don't have too. Avoid diarehtics (SP?) like alcohol and caffiene, drying agents like pseudofed and menthol, and pleghm inducers like dairy, chocolate, etc.


*If you are having post nasal drip, sleep at a %45 degree angle or sleep sitting up. You may not rest quite as well, but your chords will thank you in the morning. Sleep longer to make up for it. DO NOT take things like NYQUIL and lay down flat to conk out for the night. You will be unconcious for 12 hours, and when you wake up, your chords will be so swollen and covered with mucus, you may very well be worse off than you were the day before. Nyquil will help a cold heal faster, but it is always at the expense of the vocal chords.

4. DRINK A TON OF WATER. I mean, you should be going to the bathroom every 20 minutes. Your stomach should feel full. Completely flush your system with water. It keeps the phleghm thin, helps your body flush it out, and most importantly, helps it heal. A well hydrated body heals much faster than a de-hydrated one.

5. An additional option is to tuck a small piece of fruity gum into the back pocket of your mouth, between your gums and your cheek, back by your molars. Chew it until some of the flavor is gone, then tuck it in there tight so you don't spit it out while you're singing. Keep it there while you perform. It will help keep your mouth extra moist when your adrenaline gets pumping on stage. Dryness will kill ya when the big high note comes. Then you have to push to get it out, and you damage your chords more.


Okay, I know that's a long post, and it may end up being a thread killer. Sorry about that. Just wanted to share my experiences, for what it's worth.

[Bdwy24]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 3:38pm

I had a show opening up on Wednesday and on the Sunday before I could not speak AT ALL. NOTHING came out of my mouth. I went to the doctor and told him I needed to be able to sing by Wednesday......He gave me Antibiotics which was the Z-pack. and also Steroids (I forget what they were called). He was certain that I would be ready for the show on Wednesday. I wasnt so sure I could believe him. The next day I was able to sort of sing and by wednesday I had a voice back. Granted, It wasnt back 100% but it was back enough that the audience couldnt tell I was sick.

My Reccomendation: SEE A DR. And ask him about Z-pack and/or steroids

[voztimbrada]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 3:45pm

I've done the Z-pack myself. It's a pretty effective antibiotic for colds, flus, etc. Good stuff. The steroids scare me a little bit, so I've never done those. But I have heard that they can help quite a bit in a pinch.

Posted: 1/12/06 at 3:46pm

i have had to take them and my voice is fine

[lovinlife]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 3:52pm

I also have taken the Z-Pack in extreme situations where I was truly ill and nothing would help. The best thing I can tell you is sleep, sleep, sleep.

[erikaamato]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 3:53pm

voztimbrada covered just about everything I would ever think to say on this subject (and I agree wholeheartedly with all of it), but I wanted to add, on the subject of steroids, that while I have never (thankfully) had to take them for laryngitis, I have had to take them in the past to control my asthma (when I've had bronchitis on top of my asthma, that is), and although I wouldn't recommend taking them willy-nilly, I've never had any adverse affects from them, particularly as regards my voice. =)

[ashbash1990]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 8:38pm

EDIT:Nevermind, sorry...

Updated On: 3/9/08 at 08:38 PM