Is it possible to get rid of hoarseness quickly and if so how to cure a hoarse voice in an
hour?
Stay tuned because I am sharing practical tips on treating hoarseness so that you can
get your voice back as soon as possible.
Hi!
I am Katarina, speech language pathologist from How 2 Improve Singing and here on this
channel, I share practical tips about using your voice in a healthy way.
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So, the big question is: can you cure hoarseness in an hour?
Well, it depends.
I don’t have any magical formulas or potions but I have a story that demonstrates that
you can get rid of acute hoarseness in a very short period of time.
But first, let’s make it clear that there are some types of hoarseness, which cannot
be cured quickly.
I am talking about chronic hoarseness of voice.
If you have been suffering from hoarse voice for more than 2 weeks, meaning you are experiencing
chronic hoarseness, and now you expect your voice to magically cure within a few hours,
you are in for a huge disappointment.
Chronic hoarseness requires time and a more complex approach than a few quick tips.
I talk about treatment of chronic hoarseness in a different video.
So, if that is you, click here to watch that video right now.
Also, if you are hoarse or lost your voice due to an acute viral illness such as common
cold or flu, there may not be a quick solution that will get your voice back in an hour.
You can certainly try some of the tips that I share in this video but usually, the viral
infection has to run its course and your voice will come back when the sickness goes away.
It is still possible to use your voice or even sing when you are sick but it is not
ideal.
In cases of acute hoarseness due to a viral infection, the best emergency vocal remedy
includes lots of fluids like water or warm teas with lemon, honey or ginger, vocal rest,
warm steam for your voice, good nasal hygiene and sleep.
But it may take a few days to get your voice back.
So, let’s go back to our question: is it possible to cure hoarseness in an hour?
Yes, if the hoarseness is a symptom of vocal fold swelling due to one short-term episode
of vocal misuse.
Let me tell you a story.
My son loves to sing and he was invited to sing at a half-time show during a football
game at his high school.
His preferred genre of music is classical singing and jazz, that’s his vocal training
background.
However, to entertain the teenage masses at a football game, the school band opted for
a heavier type of music and they played Ozzy Osbourne and Steppenwolf.
My son decided to add some grunts and roughness to the sound and after 30-minute performance,
he ended up with a hoarse voice.
Of course, he did not know how to grunt in a healthy way, he never did it before.
When I picked him up after the performance, he could barely talk.
His voice was weak, raspy and breathy.
I immediately ordered him to stay quiet on the way home, even though I was very eager
to know how the performance went.
On the way to the car, I also bought a cup of warm tea for him.
Instead of talking, we listened to some music in the car.
When we came home, I asked him to still keep silent so he spent some time texting with
his friends.
I made him more warm tea with ginger and lemon and he steamed his voice.
After about an hour, his voice cleared and he was no longer hoarse.
However, my trained ears still heard some breathiness in his speaking voice.
So, I suggested that he takes the night off from talking and does “quiet work”, which
meant playing on the computer in silence.
His voice was back to normal within 24 hours and he decided not to sing heavy metal again
or at least without proper training.
So, here are three learning points from the story:
1.
You can heal a hoarse voice in a short period of time.
The main trick is vocal rest.
Here is why.
My son’s hoarseness was a symptom of vocal fold swelling.
He grinded his vocal folds due to bad vocal technique.
As a result, there was a fluid build up inside the vocal folds, which is actually a protective
mechanism to avoid more serious damage.
When the vocal folds are thick, they cannot vibrate normally, which results in changes
in voice quality.
Luckily, vocal folds have an amazing ability to self-restore if you give them a chance.
And that is exactly what vocal rest does.
Plus, good hydration in the form of warm teas and steam inhalation also helped.
2.
My son was lucky that his vocal misuse resulted only in vocal fold swelling and he did not
harm his voice even more, for example with vocal hemorrhage.
Vocal fold hemorrhage is when a blood vessel on the vocal fold ruptures and the vocal fold
fills with blood.
This is a serious vocal emergency and is treated with absolute voice rest and requires attention
of a voice professional.
So, remember, not all types of hoarseness are easy to “fix”.
So, don’t play with fire and avoid vocal misuse whenever you can.
3.
Finally, hoarseness is a symptom, not a disease.
There are many different causes of hoarse voice and they are treated differently.
It is important to know the cause in order to plan a successful treatment.
Vocal rest, hydration and good vocal hygiene are the first line of treatment options for
any type of hoarseness.
But if your voice is hoarse for more than 2 weeks, make an appointment with your doctor
and have your voice checked in order to prevent a serious vocal problem.
For example, if you suddenly experience hoarseness without a presence of acute viral infection
such as common cold or flu, order yourself vocal rest and improve your vocal hygiene.
But if you don’t see any improvements in the next few days, then it is time to find
professional help.
And that is all for today.
If you liked this video, give it thumbs up and check out my other videos on the topic
of hoarseness right here below.
I will see you in the next video.