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Treatment to get voice back

How do I get my voice back?
(27 Sep 2007)

The condition of losing one’s voice is medically called laryngitis, which is a result of larynx (or voice box) inflammation. The most common cause of laryngitis is viral infection, but it is also caused by prolonged strain of the voice by talking or screaming, excessive smoking, inhaling fumes, and coughing. Other than hoarseness, laryngitis also causes itchiness and dryness of the throat, sore throat, and mild fever.

If you suffer from acute laryngitis, the problem will last only a few days and you wouldn’t need medication. However, if it’s chronic laryngitis that lasts for a few weeks, you will need professional medical help. If you suffer from the problem for a long time, or with regularity, it is advisable to have it checked, as it may be something serious.

There are a few things you need to keep in mind when suffering from laryngitis. Do not strain your vocal chords too much. Do not scream, and talk only if necessary. Give your throat as much rest as you can. You must avoid any kind of air pollutants like smoke and fumes, and you yourself must not smoke at all. You will also need to keep your larynx, and throat in general, hydrated. So drink 8-10 glasses of room temperature or lukewarm water and other liquids, especially tea with honey, which will soothe your throat. Avoid alcoholic beverages and caffeine, as both these cause dryness and irritation. Inhaling steam about three times in a day will moisten your vocal chords and soothe the larynx.

Consuming warm lemon tea thrice a day is an effective way of treating laryngitis. Lemon has tannic acid that loosens the mucus and smoothens inflamed throat tissues. You can just make black tea and add the juice of half a lemon to it. Alternatively, you can have thyme or chamomile tea to bring relief to your throat. However, even though gargling is a method used to treat a sore throat, it doesn’t help laryngitis, since it doesn’t reach the larynx. Also, you need to avoid salt, as it dries the throat even more. If you want to get relief from scratchy throat, you can mix honey and lemon in warm water and gargle with the mix. Another effective remedy is mixing one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water and consuming it every hour for seven hours. You can consume a glass of water with cayenne pepper, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice added to it to get your voice back in a day.

answered by G M on 15 Mar 2010, 4:22:29

Treatment to get voice back

The answer to this question would depend on how you lost your voice to begin with. There could be two or three causes for this. It could be that you have injured yourself with a blow of some sort to your throat. It could also be a severe cold, sinusitis, or an infection that has caused you to lose your voice. It could also be some non-physical injury, like smoke inhalation that has swelled your larynx and caused you to lose your voice.

For blocked sinuses or a severe cold, you can steam your face with water and a few drops of eucalyptus oil in it. This will clear your sinuses and therefore ease your throat too. For a severe cold, have hot tea thrice a day with sip hot tea with a cardamom, a few ground peppercorns, ginger, a couple of cloves and holy basil. This will loosen the constricted throat and make your voice come out more easily. You can also make a paste of holy basil and honey and have a teaspoon in the morning and evening. This helps cure a sore throat. If you have an infection, a glass of hot milk with a teaspoon of turmeric powder mixed in is very effective, especially if had just before going to bed. For injury or smoke inhalation, or even excessive smoking, you must simply try to remain silent for a full day. Nothing is more effective!

answered by G M on 19 Feb 2008, 2:56:13

Treatment to get voice back

How do I get my voice back? (27 Sep 2007)

How do I get my voice back?
(27 Sep 2007)