How to Restore Your Voice

To recover your voice, it's essential to rest as much as possible. Try gargling with saltwater or sipping plain water. Avoid smoking and acidic foods and drinks. Consider using throat lozenges or a humidifier. Finally, make sure to address any underlying issues such as a cold.

Rest your throat as much as possible. Even speaking at a normal volume causes strain on your vocal cords, which can slow down the recovery process. While there are times when speaking is necessary, limiting vocal use can speed up healing. Therefore, it’s best to try not to speak at all.

• Whispering is not a good idea. It’s unnatural and can actually strain your vocal cords even more.
• Keep a notepad handy and write down what you want to communicate. It can actually be quite fun!

Saltwater Gargle. Gargling helps moisturize the throat, soothe the vocal cords, and accelerate the recovery process. There are over-the-counter mouthwashes that can help kill bacteria responsible for voice loss.

• If you're heating water in a microwave, make sure it's not too hot – otherwise, you could literally burn your throat.

Warm up your body with yoga. After all, your voice is part of your body. To warm up your voice, you should warm up your whole body. Yoga is an excellent way to tune into your body and activate your diaphragm. If you’re not seriously ill, this is a great way to relax (if you're seriously ill, it’s best to rest in bed!).

• Here’s an exercise to engage your diaphragm: Sit on the floor, with your knees bent slightly apart. Place your hands on your knees with arms extended. Inhale through your nose, then exhale forcefully through your mouth. Press your hands down on your knees, spreading your fingers. Look up, stick out your tongue, and make a roaring sound like a lion – a loud, open “aaaa” sound. Remember, the sound comes from your diaphragm, not your throat!

Take advantage of steam. The key here is moisture. By keeping enough water inside and around your body, you'll recover faster. If a hot steamy shower isn't right for you at the moment, boil a pot of water and lean your head over it. Cover your head with a towel to keep the steam circulating in your sinuses.

• Stay in this position for a few minutes. You’ll start feeling your sinuses clear (of course, this applies when you're dealing with a cold). Repeat as many times as needed.

Quit Smoking. If you’ve recently taken up smoking, cigarette smoke can be harmful to your health in many ways, including your voice. Here, we're talking about how smoke dries out the esophagus, and your vocal cords could literally burn up from cigarette smoke!

• If you're still hesitant, consider the benefits of quitting: saving money, improving the health of those around you, reducing the risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and bladder cancer, and making it much easier to exercise.

Visit a doctor. If your voice is hoarse because you sang karaoke a bit too much the night before, there's probably no need to worry. However, if you woke up one day last week and have lost your voice ever since, that’s a red flag. You should see a doctor to find out what’s going on.

• In general, any symptoms lasting longer than a few days should be checked out by a doctor. It’s always better to be safe. And if you’re also experiencing other symptoms like a cough or fever, you definitely need to seek medical attention.

Drink plenty of water. You need to stay hydrated during your voice recovery. Increasing your fluid intake helps keep your throat moist and supports the recovery of your vocal function. Moisture is key to getting your voice back.

• What works against water? Alcohol. Alcohol dries out the throat and dehydrates your body. If you want your voice to return quickly, you need to avoid alcoholic beverages.

Avoid acidic foods and drinks. Acidic foods and drinks such as tea, citrus fruits, and chocolate don’t directly affect the vocal cords but can exacerbate acid reflux (a very undesirable condition). Acid reflux can cause further inflammation and worsen voice loss. The best way to clear out foreign substances and bacteria that affect your voice is to drink plenty of clean water.

• What you’ve heard is true: tea is acidic, and anything acidic is not good for the esophageal lining. Those who believe in the benefits of tea may feel better because of the soothing effect, but tea doesn’t necessarily address the root cause of the problem.

Drink warm liquids. Yes, because you're not just drinking water, make sure to warm up any liquid you consume. You shouldn’t drink liquids that are too hot or too cold – both can have a negative effect on your throat. And if you drink tea (which you might), honey can be a good addition.

• What about milk? Dairy products coat the throat. It might soothe your throat but only temporarily, and the problem will quickly return. If you’re about to perform, remember not to drink milk for a few hours beforehand.

Visit the pharmacy. There are at least half a dozen products that claim to have miraculous effects in restoring a lost voice. Emergen-C, Friar's Balsam, slippery elm, and Lemsip are just a few of the remedies that suggest they can bring your voice back. If you're looking for a magical solution, one of these might help.

• However, let me tell you that the real solution is water, water, and more water, plus giving your voice the rest it needs. Don't rely on these products as a miracle cure.

Use throat lozenges to relieve pain. Changing weather or dry air can irritate the throat. So, moisturizing the throat can help soothe the irritation. Lozenges or other throat drops are effective remedies for smoothing the throat.

• Even chewing gum can help alleviate dry mouth. The better you maintain moisture and lubrication, the quicker you'll recover.

Invest in a humidifier. Especially if dry air is the cause of your throat irritation, a humidifier can help address the issue. It works similarly to steam inhalation but also circulates moisture throughout the entire room.

Tackle the underlying issue. Frequently losing your voice can be a symptom of a bigger problem. If you're dealing with a cold or sore throat, focus on addressing that problem instead of just trying to get your voice back. You'll find your voice returns once you treat the illness with antibiotics, vitamin C supplements, and proper nutrition to fight the flu.

• If your voice does not return after a few days, consult a doctor. Prolonged hoarseness can be a sign of a more serious illness that requires medical attention.
• If you don't have much mucus, avoid drinking warm liquids. Sore throats are actually caused by inflammation of the vocal cords. The vocal cords respond similarly to other parts of the body. For instance, if your ankle is swollen, you'd apply ice to reduce swelling, but if you're just experiencing pain, you should apply heat. This is because cold slows blood circulation and helps reduce swelling, while heat enhances blood flow and inflammation. If your sore throat isn't accompanied by mucus, you should drink cool water to help reduce swelling in the vocal cords.