Do you want to know how to get rid of hoarseness effectively? If you are ready to finally treat your voice the way it deserves to be treated then continue watching because in this video, I am talking about effective hoarse voice remedies for singers and other voice users. You will learn about three steps you need to take to treat your voice the right way. So, stay tuned and I will be right back. Hi and welcome! If you are here for the first time, I am Katarina from How 2 Improve Singing and here on this channel, I share tips on how to use your voice in a healthy and efficient way. So, if you are new here, consider subscribing to my channel and hitting that bell notification below this video. And I am very curious to know what is your preferred choice of hoarse voice treatment. Medication, lozenges, honey or anything else? Comment down below. Ok. So, you have a hoarse voice and you are wondering how to treat hoarseness effectively. What can you do to get your beautiful voice back as soon as possible? First, there are many reasons why you may suffer from hoarseness. I talked about causes of hoarse voice in my last video, which you can watch by clicking this link. And I will also link to it at the end of this video. Different causes will require different treatment options. In this video, let’s look at your options when you experience hoarseness as a result of vocal fold swelling, either due to an infection, such as common cold or flu, or due to voice overuse. Before I give you three steps to a healthy voice, let me tell you what happens with your vocal folds when you sound hoarse due to overuse or infection. Your vocal folds are made of several layers. When your vocal folds are swollen, there is a build up of fluid just beneath the most superficial layer of the vocal folds. This is a protective mechanism, which creates a cushion of fluid to prevent further damage to deeper layers of the vocal folds. The fluid build up makes the vocal folds thick. Thicker vocal folds sound hoarse or husky and your voice may suddenly become deeper. So, the focus of hoarse voice treatment in this case should be decreasing the amount of fluid build up, decreasing the vocal fold swelling. How do you do that? Here are three steps you need to take in order to give your voice the best chance to recover. Step 1 – Proper Hydration If you are rolling your eyes and saying “what’s new?”, wait. Let me explain how adequate hydration works and why it is so important to treat hoarseness. First, when you are sick, you are losing water from your body through perspiration, so you need to replenish the lost fluids. That is common sense. But when you overuse your voice, the most superficial layer of the vocal folds also gets damaged and it needs to be well hydrated in order to be restored and maintain an adequate mucous coat to protect the vocal folds. Simply, dehydrated vocal folds become even more susceptible to vocal injury. The protective mucous lining of the vocal folds protects them from natural friction when you speak or sing. So, hydration basically helps protect your voice from further damage. There are two ways of hydrating your vocal instrument: internal and external hydration. Internal hydration is drinking plenty of fluids. External hydration is humidifying the air and steaming your voice. Use a humidifier in the bedroom right beside your bed. Steaming is a wonderful method of hydrating your vocal folds directly and fast. And it also helps healing by dilating the blood vessels. Just recently, I made a video about steaming your voice so you can watch it here. Step 2 – Vocal Rest Vocal rest simply means that you limit your voice use to essential communication needs. This can be challenging for some voice users who love to talk or sing all the time. Because with every sound you make, the superficial layer of the vocal folds gets broken and damaged, you want to just stop making any unnecessary sounds. If you need to talk, do it gently. Don’t whisper, just use a gentle voice to communicate your needs. During this period, opt for activities that don’t require voice use. You can finally binge watch your favourite show without feeling guilty. Step 3 – Choose Your Weapons Wisely What do I mean by that? When our voice does not sound normally, or when we get sick, many people tend to reach for medication and lozenges as their first line of defence. However, some of these weapons can have adverse effects on your voice. Some singers believe that medications, such as Aspirin or Ibuprofen, reduce vocal fold swelling and they even take them as a preventative measure before high demanding performances. These medications reduce swelling and pain but they also have an adverse effect on the voice. However, sometimes you simply need to take this type of drug. In that case, avoid sudden and high impact on the vocal folds, such as prolonged and excessive voice use, yelling, coughing or grunting. The risk is small but there is a risk. Another group of drugs with known side effects on your voice are decongestants, such as Sudafed. They have a drying effect on your body, including the mucous covering of the vocal folds. If you can, avoid using medications with a drying effect. But again, if you need to use them, increase the intake of water to make up for their drying effect. What about lozenges and throat sprays? Many of these products cause dry mouth, throat, and vocal folds, especially products that contain menthol and eucalyptus. Some lozenges even have a numbing effect, which can mask the underlying problem. When you mask pain, you are more prone to vocal injury due to overworking your vocal folds. So, chose lozenges with glycerin and pectin if you want to give your throat a little bit of relieve. I will be talking about the best lozenges for singers and voice users in my next video, so consider subscribing to this channel and hitting the bell notification icon so that you get notified when a new video is out. Bonus tip Consider hoarse voice treatment home remedy. For example, add honey to your tea. Honey contains antioxidants. And therefore, according to modern scientific literature, honey could be considered a natural therapeutic agent for various medicinal purposes. Ginger also appears to have anti-inflammatory properties. If your throat hurts as a result of an infection, gargle with salt water and take an extra dose of vitamin C, which plays a role in keeping your immune system healthy. Vocal fold swelling due to voice overuse should go away within 24 to 48 hours. If you experience hoarseness as a result of an infection, it should resolve itself when infection is no more present, which can take 1 to 2 weeks. So, now you know how to treat a hoarse voice effectively. If you liked this video, please give me thumbs up and share it with your friends. But don’t go too far! Check out my other videos down below. I hope to see you soon!