by Jennifer Moll

Created on: July 25, 2009

For people that love to talk or sing, waking up to learn all you can coax out of your mouth is a croak can be a real nightmare! There is no need to panic, there are some home remedies that will help you get that voice back!

1. Do not talk!

No matter what caused your laryngitis, the best thing you can do is rest your voice. This means do not even whisper. If you need to communicate, pass a note because even a whisper can bang your vocal cords together just as strongly as if you were screaming.

2. Drink plenty of fluids.

Drink eight to ten glasses of fluid, preferably water or juice or tea with honey or lemon and skip that ice. The coldness will just aggravate the problem.

3. Skip the aspirin.

You may have lost your voice by rupturing a capillary because you were shouting too loud, by taking aspirin you will only slow the healing process because aspirin increases clotting time.

4. Use a cold-air humidifier.

The mucus that coats your vocal cords needs to be kept moist because if the mucus is not moist, irritants can stick to it.

5. Use steam.

Moisture can also be restored by holding your head over a bowl filled with steaming water for about five minutes, twice a day.

6. Breathe through your nose.

Did you know that breathing through your nose is a natural humidifier? Well it is.

7. Stop smoking.

Not only is smoking a health hazard, it also causes dryness of the throat.

8. Be careful of which cough drops you choose.

Be sure to stick to honey or fruit flavored soft cough drops and stay away from mint and mentholated products. These products slow down your recovery process because they can temporarily paralyze your throat muscles.

9. Checkout your medicine cabinet.

Some prescription drugs are very drying to the throat. Blood pressure medications, thyroid medications, and antihistamines are likely culprits.

10. Consider voice training.

If you speak a lot, you may want to consider training your voice because the muscles that suspend the larynx strain against each other in a non-trained voice. With voice training, you will get those muscles working together like a team.

These are just a few tips that you can try to help get your voice back once it has been lost. However, it is important to know when you need to seek medical attention. If you notice that you are coughing up blood, hear noises in your throat when you breathe, or if your voice does not return to normal within three to five days, you may have a more serious problem and should seek medical advice.

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