Hoarseness can be caused by overuse, infection, or irritation of the vocal cords. Symptoms are often referred to as "laryngitis", although it is a general term rather than a specific diagnosis. To heal a hoarse voice, rest your vocal cords. You can also prevent the problem in the future by quitting smoking and avoiding consuming too much alcohol or caffeine.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Soothe Irritation of the Vocal Cords
Step 1. Drink warm liquids
A herbal tea and other hot drinks soothe irritation and relax the vocal cords. This allows you to recover your voice faster. If you don't like herbal teas, try a cider or hot chocolate.
- Chamomile tea and all teas designed to soothe a sore throat are especially helpful if you have hoarseness. Avoid spicy herbal teas with ginger or lemon.
- Avoid drinks that contain caffeine when trying to soothe irritation in the vocal cords. This substance dehydrates the body and can cause your voice to become even more hoarse.
Step 2. Add a few drops of honey to an herbal tea
This way you will get an even more soothing drink. Honey has healing properties and is often used to treat sore throats and hoarseness.
- You can also eat a few teaspoons of pure honey. However, since it is thick and difficult to swallow, adding it to an herbal tea is the most common choice.
- If you don't like herbal teas, try sucking on a honey candy. Alternatively, add a teaspoon of honey to a cup of hot water, with a few drops of lemon juice.
Step 3. Gargle with salt water
Add a pinch of salt to a full cup of hot water. Take a sip of water and let it bubble down your throat for about thirty seconds. Gargling with salt water helps moisturize and soothe the throat, relieving hoarseness.
Spit out the water once you're done
Step 4. Suck on a hard candy or throat lozenge
The lozenges soothe and moisturize the throat. This relieves pain, discomfort and makes your voice less hoarse. In particular, menthol candies coat the throat and make the voice return to normal.
The aroma of the candy does not matter. Avoid spicy ones though (including cinnamon ones), as spices can cause acid reflux in the throat
Step 5. Turn on a room humidifier at night
This appliance emits fresh, moist air while you sleep. By breathing in the moist air, you will hydrate your throat and vocal cords. This reduces the effects of laryngitis and your voice should return to normal the next morning.
- If you don't own a humidifier, you can buy one at an appliance or home improvement store. You can also buy it from the largest retailers on the internet.
- A humidifier with cool or warm air is good for the throat and helps heal a hoarse voice.
Method 2 of 3: Change Your Lifestyle
Step 1. Speak as little as possible when your voice is hoarse
The vocal cords naturally heal on their own over time. Promote the normal course of events by resting your voice. If you strain your throat when you have laryngitis, such as screaming, singing loudly, etc., you risk permanent damage to your vocal cords.
If necessary, let friends and family know that you cannot speak loudly, so that they are not confused
Step 2. Avoid eating spicy foods
While they are delicious, they can have a negative effect on the vocal cords. In fact, they stimulate the production of acids in the stomach, which can go up the throat. Damage to the vocal cords over time can lead to chronic laryngitis.
Excessive consumption of spicy foods is also a common cause of heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Both of these conditions can lead to chronic laryngitis
Step 3. Limit your consumption of alcohol and caffeine
These substances can dehydrate the body and consequently dry out the vocal cords. This can lead to cases of acute laryngitis.
To keep the body, including the vocal cords, properly hydrated, an adult man should drink about 3 liters of water a day, while a woman two liters
Step 4. Stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke
Smoking (in addition to the numerous other health problems it causes) dries up, irritates the throat and vocal cords. As a result, it can lead to frequent cases of laryngitis. Even secondhand smoke can dry out the vocal cords and cause hoarseness.
In the long run, smoking can cause permanent damage to the larynx and cause the notorious "smoker's voice"
Method 3 of 3: Consult Your Doctor
Step 1. Make a doctor's appointment if your laryngitis is longer than two weeks
The hoarse voice is usually a minor (and temporary) nuisance, but in some cases it can be a symptom of a more serious health problem. If the hoarseness and throat irritation last longer than two weeks, make an appointment with your doctor.
Your doctor may recommend a specialist visit to an otolaryngologist, based on the nature and severity of your laryngitis
Step 2. Describe the symptoms accompanying the hoarse voice to your doctor
Sore throat, dry cough, and itchy back of the larynx are of no concern. Conversely, the following symptoms can be problematic:
- Coughing up blood
- Difficulty in breathing
- High fever that lasts a long time
- Difficulty swallowing
Step 3. Ask your doctor for a diagnosis
Once the symptoms of laryngitis have been described, the doctor will perform some tests before making a diagnosis. Based on your symptoms, he may insert a small, flexible laryngoscope into your throat. He may also perform a biopsy to obtain a tissue sample from the vocal cords, which will then be sent to a laboratory for analysis.
- In some cases, frequent hoarseness can be caused by small polyps or benign tumors of the vocal cords.
- Your doctor will diagnose acute laryngitis (a short illness caused by fatigue in the vocal cords or an infection) or chronic laryngitis (a long-lasting illness caused by prolonged exposure to irritants).
Step 4. Ask your doctor what treatment options are
Almost all treatments for laryngitis involve treating the symptoms (rest of the voice, quitting smoking). If you have developed vocal polyps or other laryngeal cancers, your doctor will recommend surgery to remove them.
