You’re going to hate me!
I’m so sorry, but this HAS to be said.
Stop relying on quick fixes!
Over the years, lots of singers, coaches and speakers how have had little or no vocal training ask me how they can cure their sore throat, or how to overcome laryngitis.
You can soothe your throat with honey, and make a lemon, ginger and turmeric tea or use steaming to help it along, but I’m sorry to break it to you: there is only ONE WAY to cure a sore throat or a lost voice and that is REST!!!
Most lozenges and sprays will numb the pain for a while but that will only mean that you’re likely to carry on as normal and do more damage. They won’t cure your sore throat.
I’d love to tell you there’s a magic lozenge or syrup, or that I’ve got an amazing herbal remedy handed down from my great-grandmother, but the reality is as boring as it is true.
If you're a singer can’t get dep, or you have an event booked that you absolutely have to attend, let your backing vocalists take most of the strain and only sing when absolutely necessary. This should be something you have prepared for anyway as good practice.
And if you're a coach or Speaker and you're bound by a contract or your commitment to your clients, consider whether the price of ruining your voice further outweighs the cost of cancelling.
The bottom line is, your voice is gone for a reason. Listen to your body.
If you were an athlete, you wouldn’t try to walk on a broken leg. You would wait until it was ready for gentle exercise and build it up until it’s ready for normal stuff. Then work up to your normal routine.
Of course, your voice doesn’t usually take as long to heal as a broken leg. But because it’s so resilient it’s easy to take it for granted.
Respect your tiny vocal cords.
Your voice has gone for a reason. Let it rest. Feed it with good stuff, and it will come back when it has recovered.
Stay hydrated!