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[treehugger1]

Any ideas about how I can get my voice back faster?

Last week I came down with a cold that went straight for my throat. When I woke up Saturday morning, I could not even phonate. No, not a peep. Too bad -- I had to miss a concert I was supposed to sing Sunday.

My voice is coming back slowly, but I'm still nowhere near better ... and I have another concert coming up on Thursday evening.

So, any ideas for home remedies (besides rest [vocal and otherwise] and keeping hydrated)?

I'm particularly interested on hearing the Fora's medical experts on the subject of steam inhalation. I'm on a classical singer board and controversy rages on this topic. Some swear by it and others think it's awful because the steam actually swells the larynx and makes the condition worse. Which is it?

Other ideas?

[ideagirl]

Kimchi (also spelled kim chee). Available at your local Korean restaurant, and possibly most of your local sushi places since most of them are run by Koreans. Also available at Whole Foods and some other grocery stores (including, obviously, Korean groceries). It will burn out any upper respiratory infection or virus, including laryngitis. I speak from personal experience.

[irhack]

I had this once at summer camp. The advice I got was to not go easy on my voice, to keep speaking as normally as possible. Apparently whispering can make it last longer? I feel like it only lasted a couple of days.

[treehugger1]

I had this once at summer camp. The advice I got was to not go easy on my voice, to keep speaking as normally as possible. Apparently whispering can make it last longer? I feel like it only lasted a couple of days.

I've gotten the "don't whisper" advice, and agree. But I've also heard that it is better just not to speak at all (vocal rest) than to speak too much, or even normally.

Kim chi? Isn't that just a kind of Korean vegetable dish? Is there one particular ingredient that you think might be specifically helpful?

FYI, someone on the other forum recommended Echinacea Propolis spray.

I also found an article suggesting that steam treatments don't have any effect at all.

 

[alto_stratus]

Maybe it's the hot red pepper flake that gets your mucus moving?  I was about to suggest guaifenesin, also to clear up any congestion/mucus that may be causing the loss of voice. 

[molli_sols]

I have chronic laryngitis caused by another health issue.  I find that any liquid, hot or not, helps.  I like to sip a little at a time practically constantly when my throat is acting up.  If it is also sore I suck on ice chips and eat soft cool foods like pudding and applesauce.  If I have post-nasal drip I find the hot liquids do a better job breaking up the mucus and clearing out my sinuses to remove the irritation even if they are supposed to increase swelling.  Taking an ordinary NSAID like ibuprofin can counteract the swelling. 

I'm a fan of the no talk strategy.  I find I have to push air out harder when my larynx is irritated either due to swelling or mucus and trying to talk, even at a whisper, leaves me feeling sore.  Also, you are supposed to avoid coughing or clearing your throat because they also can irritate you. 

[fiona]

Chuan Xin Lian. Yellow pills made from dandelions and other ingredients. I get them from my Chinese acupuncturist, and they stop sore throat/cold and other miseries in a couple of hours.

You can also order them from amazon.com.

The Fiona

[mouseman]

Chuan Xin Lian. Yellow pills made from dandelions and other ingredients. I get them from my Chinese acupuncturist, and they stop sore throat/cold and other miseries in a couple of hours.

You can also order them from amazon.com.

The Fiona

It may not work - it may be effective in drying mucus, which could thicken the gook on her vocal chords making the laryngitis worse.

I would recommend the warm drinks idea, along with nasal irrigation to reduce post-nasal drip.  Kimchi helps by helping thin the mucus, but the amount of garlic in it may make for awkward social interactions.

It will burn out any upper respiratory infection or virus, including laryngitis. I speak from personal experience.

If it burns viruses, it would mess up your throat soooo badly... Viruses are much tougher than our own cells.  Irhack is right, it is the pepsin in the red pepper that increases the  secretion of mucus, thinning it.  If you like spicy food, have tea with cayenne added.

[biomancer]

Mouseman's right that hot peppers might help, though it's capsaicin, not pepsin, that causes the mucus membranes to secrete a more watery mucus.

I don't sing (my voice is probably only suitable for heavy metal), but I often end up with laryngitis from colds and other upper-respiratory infections, and I need to be able to project my voice over the noise of the HVAC system and fume hoods to teach.  Here are the treatments I use:

(1)  Liquids, preferably warm, and lots of them.  This helps to thin the mucus and keep everything adequately hydrated.  Tea, soup, whatever - keep it coming.

(2)  Go easy on dairy products if you're prone to getting secondary bacterial infections - particularly Streptococcal infections.  Strep feed very happily on lactose, and drinking a lot of milk can speed their growth.  I've found that avoiding dairy when I've got an upper respiratory virus has drastically reduced the number of sinus and/or ear infections I get after the initial head cold.

(3)  Quite a few decent scientific studies have shown garlic to have both antibacterial and antiviral effects, so a little extra garlic in the soup may help to kick the infection.  When I'm starting to come down with something I typically eat garlic bread that's almost equal parts garlic and bread, and I'm often back to normal the next morning.  It's probably too late for that for you, though, Treehugger.

(4)  I've also become a big fan of nasal irrigation to get the gunk out.  My neti pot is my friend.  It feels profoundly funky but it's also amazingly effective.

(5)  I do use steam, especially when the air in my house is dry.  More hydrated air means less dehydration of the respiratory tract.  Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that I spend an hour with my head over a pot of water - I'll set up a vaporizer in my bedroom and close the door, to retain the humidity in there while I sleep.  Or I'll take a long, hot shower with the vent turned off, and sit in the bathroom for a while afterward inhaling the steam.  (Of course, you don't want to go overboard with this and end up with a fungus problem in the house.)

(6)  I usually avoid decongestants, for two reasons.  The primary one is that it's really better to get the mucus to be as thin and watery as possible so that it carries the viruses away, and doesn't dry out in nasty gobs on the vocal cords or inside the throat.  Once the viruses are done running their course, mucus production will drop back to normal levels.  The second reason is that I don't care for the side effects.  If I'm so badly congested that I can't breathe well enough to sleep, I'll reach for the NyQuil and deal with the weird dreams and hangover, but I can't think through the drug haze of the "non-drowsy" decongestants on the market.

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery, Treehugger!

[mouseman]

Mouseman's right that hot peppers might help, though it's capsaicin, not pepsin, that causes the mucus membranes to secrete a more watery mucus.

You are right, of course.  I have no idea why I wrote pepsin, and missed it again when I posted.  I tell you, these brain farts are getting more frequent as I get older. 

[treehugger1]

Wow! Thanks, biomancer.

When I'm starting to come down with something I typically eat garlic bread that's almost equal parts garlic and bread, and I'm often back to normal the next morning.  It's probably too late for that for you, though, Treehugger.

That sounds absolutely yummy. Besides, it's not too late to prevent secondary infections. Guess what I'm making for lunch!

Any ideas about where a neti pot might be procured? Is this a Walgreen's/CVS item? Or does one have to go farther afield? Can one use some other kind of container instead or does a neti pot really have special properties?

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery, Treehugger!

Thanks. It's slow going. I have almost my entire range back, but the voice is still really weak and spindly sounding.

[alto_stratus]

You can find neti pots at most larger drugstores these days (some carry a few different brands, like SinuCleanse or their own store brand).  They sell neti pots on Amazon.com, too.  Drugstores also carry nasal saline, which you could use instead of a neti pot.  It works on the same principle, but is a little more expensive.  I prefer the no-preservatives nasal saline made by Arm&Hammer.  It's convenient and Arm&Hammer are much better at getting the salt:water ratio right than I am.  

Instructions for making your own solution: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/neti-pot-solution/AN01879

But devising a homemade neti pot itself could be a challenge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjwo68Zj7Gg (warning:  will make you laugh)

[llanfair]

Gentle gargling with warm, salted water is also helpful in laryngitis, Treehugger.  High sopranos swear by it.  Go heavy-ish on the salt.

[mouseman]

You can find neti pots at most larger drugstores these days (some carry a few different brands, like SinuCleanse or their own store brand).  They sell neti pots on Amazon.com, too.  Drugstores also carry nasal saline, which you could use instead of a neti pot.  It works on the same principle, but is a little more expensive.  I prefer the no-preservatives nasal saline made by Arm&Hammer.  It's convenient and Arm&Hammer are much better at getting the salt:water ratio right than I am.  

Instructions for making your own solution: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/neti-pot-solution/AN01879

But devising a homemade neti pot itself could be a challenge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjwo68Zj7Gg (warning:  will make you laugh)

Most pharmacies have the plastic bottles that allow you to squirt the saline solution into the nose, and they don't cost much.

We all suffer here from frequent sinus infections so this starts as soon as one of us show cold symptoms.  The stuff I have seen emerging from the Mouselet's nostrils...

[alto_stratus]

Yes, warm salted water.  It works wonders on mouth/throat irritation.  I used it recently and was surprised by how much it soothed the irritation and helped it heal (it draws out the extra fluid that causes swelling and kills the bacteria).