How to Get Your Voice Back Quickly! 8 Easy Hacks

If you have lost your voice, you have landed at the right place as this article is all about how to get your voice back quickly.

You wake up and give a call to mom for tea. But what….. you cannot speak!!! Voice does not come out of throat or has gone hoarse. This condition is most commonly caused by laryngitis. Laryngitis is the inflammation/ irritation of vocal cords caused by infection. Swelling and infection in vocal cords alters the way it produces sound. As a result, voice becomes hoarse or too low to be heard.

Causes of Lost or Hoarse Voice:

1. Viral Infection
2. Bacterial Infection
3. Shouting, screaming, yelling or talking too loudly which puts strain on vocal cords, thereby causing inflammation
4. Sore throat
5. Cold, cough and flu

Generally, laryngitis heals on its own in a week or so. But some home remedies and precautionary measures accelerate the healing and improve the symptoms.

How to Get Your Voice Back Quickly?

Below are some measures to get your voice back fast:

1. BREAK FROM SPEECH: This is the most important and effective measure to speed up the recovery. Give yourself a break from speech. Resting your voice will rest your vocal cords. It will give much needed time for soothing of inflamed cords.

Sometimes it can be unavoidable to talk. In such case, do not try to speak loudly. Speak at a normal pitch. If you have to address a large group of people, you can use a microphone or megaphone.

2. NO WHISPERING: It may seem that whispering is fine if you have lost your voice. Strangely, whispering is harder on voice cords than speaking. It can worsen the situation by putting pressure on already infected vocal cords.

3. NO SMOKING/ NO ALCOHOL: If you smoke/ drink alcohol, stop it altogether. Smoking and drinking causes laryngitis and certainly worsens it if you are already suffering from it.

4. STAY AWAY FROM ACIDIC FOODS AND BEVERAGES: Acidic foods and beverages like lemon, tea, candies, citrus fruits etc. are not good for esophagus lining. These may irritate the throat and vocal cords; hence must be avoided.

It also busts the myth that lime juice acts as a remedial measure to treat laryngitis.

5. DRINK PLENTY OF WARM WATER: Staying hydrated is very important. A dry throat worsens the hoarse voice and makes speech difficult. It is important to keep yourself hydrated to reduce the symptoms. Make sure that you drink warm water only. Cold water will do more harm than good. It can lead to total loss of voice.

6. AVOID CLEARING THROAT: Clearing throat may lead to dryness in throat which will further worsen the problem of voice.

7. STAY AWAY FROM POLLUTANTS: It is better to avoid pollutants like dust, ash, smoke or suspended particles as these will lengthen the recovery period.

8. USE AIR HUMIDIFIER: Air humidifiers are a great way to maintain optimum moisture in air. Dry air worsens the symptoms of laryngitis. Moist air improves the condition and proves to be helpful in getting your voice back.

Apart from aforesaid measures, following are some home remedies which are helpful in treating the hoarseness and loss of voice:

1. Hot and Saline Gargles: Hot and saline gargles are very effective in treating laryngitis. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water and gargle thrice a day. Do not go
2. Ginger: Ginger is an effective remedy to cure inflammation of vocal cords. It thereby assists in getting voice back. Suck ginger or have ginger tea to soothe inflamed vocal cords.
3. Honey: Anti inflammatory and anti bacterial properties of honey prove to be beneficial in soothing soreness and infection in membranes.
4. Garlic: Going the garlic way is a good idea to get your voice back. Suck the garlic to extract its juices. It will reduce the inflammation and help in getting the voice back.
5. Peppermint Essential Oil: Inhale peppermint essential oil using an inhaler or by the way of steam. For the purpose of steam, take hot water in a large bowl. Add few drops of peppermint essential oil and inhale the steam coming out of it. Be careful to cover your head and face with towel to maximise the benefits.

Electric facial steamers and vaporizers are also good for this purpose. They are readily available at local pharmacies at quite reasonable price.

Above measures and remedies will certainly accelerate the recovery. Laryngitis disappears in a couple of days. If your voice does not get back even after a week, you should consult a doctor. Doctor will diagnose the underlying cause and will recommend the required medication.