What can you do if you get a sore throat/lost voice
Avoid abusing your voice throughout the day. Don’t talk for long periods of time – you will find your voice will get hoarse. Avoid whispering. This is stressful to your voice and can cause vocal fatigue. Do not shout over loud noises, such as machinery or concerts. I’ve know a few who have yelled at rock concerts, etc, and haven’t been able to sing for months afterwards. It’s just not worth it!
We’ve had lots of questions about what to do if you’ve lost your voice due to bacterial, or viral infections, hoarseness and voice loss. We are not doctors, and would always recommend you seek professional advice, but I can provide a few tips:
1. REST!!
2. Drink plenty of Water.
3. Avoid too much Tea, Coffee, Cream & Alcohol
4. Take plenty of Vitamin C (fruit, vegetables or tablet form) to aid your body’s natural defences. Hot Lemon & Honey or Blackcurrant drinks both contain vitamin C and can help. Grate a little ginger or turmeric into it too as these have anti-inflammatory properties.
5. Severe or prolonged coughing spasms can injure the vocal cords. Cough Syrup, Throat Sprays and Lozenges can help.
6. Steam Inhalation, with or without a few drops of Eucalyptus, Peppermint or other Essential Oil helps to clear the sinuses, and get moisture onto the vocal cords.
See your doctor if your symptom persist for more than a few days or your symptoms are getting worse.
7. Do NOT attempt to sing and avoid talking if you have a hoarse voice. Allow the inflammation to reduce and you start to feel better first. This may take several weeks to recover to get your voice back..
8. On recovery start with some gentle humming for 5-10 minutes at a time and slowly build up to a few vocal exercises in your mid- range gradually expanding the range over several days. The rate of recovery will depend on the severity of illness and how experienced a singer you are. Any recurrence of hoarseness stop and rest the voice for another couple of days.