Blueridge Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 (edited) I have the nastiest voice this morning, my throat is mildly sore and there is phlegm (sorry) in my throat. Our church choir has their Christmas cantata this Sunday and I have a solo. What on earth can I do? I need home remedies, OTC medicine names, anything. Many thanks! ETA: Today was our concert, and it went very well!! I wanted to thank you all for your tremendous help. The doctor said that I probably have allergies so these are the things I tried: I took Claritin each morning and Motrin for my swelled throat. I gargled with salt water and drank lots of Throat Coat tea with added lemon juice and honey. I avoided dairy and tried to get lots of rest. I ordered some Clear Voice vocal spray and used it today. Such a great product. I drank lemon water through the concert. My solo went well, and I am so very thankful to you all for your encouragements. Blessings! Edited December 11, 2011 by Blueridge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Drinking this tea with raw organic honey always helps clear up the beginnings of congestion for me. I buy it at Whole Foods, but it might be available elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 Thank you. I do have some medicinal teas, and had a cup this morning. I think that I'm in disbelief that I am experiencing this again. Our family had this crud for weeks not too long ago...I don't want it again. I sound like an old toad croaking...my poor choir director will have a crying fit. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplain Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 (edited) Oh, been there! Here's my advice: 1. Rest your voice completely (Ha! Your kids'll love that!) until it is time to warm up for the performance, and let your director know you may need a replacement. 2. Drink warm liquids; my choir directors have all said to drink just warm water w/honey, because many teas are acidic enough irritate inflamed tissues. Coffee is out; even decaf coffee is too acidic. I suspect many herbal teas are fine though. No lemon. If dairy makes you even a tiny bit phlegmy, eliminate it completely for now. 3. To promote general healing, stay comfortably warm (you want your body to focus on healing, not body temp), and make sure you're getting adequate sleep. Keeping your neck warm if it is cold out will help maintain optimal blood flow to your vocal cords, which'll promote healing. 4. No sweets! Consuming sweets transiently depresses immune system function, which could prolong healing time. Unfortunately, the best strategy is prevention, but we all know how well that works with germy kids around. :D Thank goodness cold and flu season is only a season! Best wishes!!! :grouphug: Edited December 6, 2011 by jplain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy in Australia Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 What they all said :) and I second the raw honey in a hot drink: it can work miracles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alecat Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Oh, been there! Here's my advice: 1. Rest your voice completely (Ha! Your kids'll love that!) until it is time to warm up for the performance, and let your director know you may need a replacement. 2. Drink warm liquids; my choir directors have all said to drink just warm water w/honey, because many teas are acidic enough irritate inflamed tissues. Coffee is out; even decaf coffee is too acidic. I suspect many herbal teas are fine though. No lemon. If dairy makes you even a tiny bit phlegmy, eliminate it completely for now. 3. To promote general healing, stay comfortably warm (you want your body to focus on healing, not body temp), and make sure you're getting adequate sleep. Keeping your neck warm if it is cold out will help maintain optimal blood flow to your vocal cords, which'll promote healing. 4. No sweets! Consuming sweets transiently depresses immune system function, which could prolong healing time. Unfortunately, the best strategy is prevention, but we all know how well that works with germy kids around. :D Thank goodness cold and flu season is only a season! Best wishes!!! :grouphug: Great list! Just adding: steam! If you can manage to steam up the bathroom, or the old head over a basin with towel covering you, then that will also help relax the vocal chords and hopefully clear that congestion also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Also, drink lots of water. LOTS AND LOTS of water. *TMI ahead* My vocal prof. used to say that if your pee wasn't clear you hadn't drunk enough water yet. If you are experiencing phlegm drinking more water does seem to help thin it out. I've also found sitting in a steamed up bathroom helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplain Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 More TMI alert: My vocal prof. used to say that if your pee wasn't clear you hadn't drunk enough water yet. That one always makes me laugh, because it makes me wonder if s/he means clear if you pee in a cup, or clear if you check the toilet. There is a difference, you know! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgrin Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I have a family member who directs operas. He always suggests Throat Coat Tea by Traditional Medicinals. It's helped me many times in the past. I've seen it at grocery stores, Walgreens, and natural food stores, so you should be able to find it somewhere local. Be sure to steep it for the full amount of time and drink it slowly, really letting it coat your throat. I'll even sort of gargle with it if I'm feeling really bad. Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissad2 Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 :grouphug: Sorry....I too am in the midst of the crud :( Feel better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evergreen State Sue Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Take all the suggestions here for what tea mixture to drink. Don't talk to save your voice. Watch the Brady Bunch episode where Carol Brady needed to sing a Christmas solo and she had laryngitis. In the end, she sang beautifully! Oh, and the final recommendation . . . pray! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 When you need to talk we were told not to whisper. Whispering is harder on the vocal cords. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Do not whisper at all. Do not try to sing. It's by far the best if you can not even talk, at all, for two straight days. I had this earlier this year, right before a Palm Sunday concert of the best music I have ever learned in my life. I went after it with every drug I could think of that might help, and it got me back to almost normal but not quite. If I had not strained my voice trying to sing when it was marginal, I would probably have been just fine. Assess your symptoms carefully--are you congested? If so, take sudafed. Are you allergic? If so, take allegra. Are you asthmatic? If so, take whatever works for you for that. Really go after this. But do not talk if you can help it, and drink more water than you ever thought possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 :grouphug: No dairy. No caffeine. No cold beverages. And here's a big one: do NOT clear your throat. When you feel yourself clogged up, cough. Clearing your throat traumatizes your vocal chords; they send a message to the brain saying, "HELP! We're traumatized!" The brain says, "OMG! The vocal chords are traumatized! Send more mucus!" And there you go. When you cough, OTOH, the vocal chords move out of the way to let the air and whatnot through...no trauma, no mucus. Hot apple cider is good (not hot enough to burn your throat, of course!). Hot apple cider with honey is even better. Or hot water with honey and lemon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 DH is a singer (a Barbershopper) and he knows someone who used to sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. According to him, these two products are a secret weapon there: ClearVoice, a little bottle of spray you can get at many music stores. Listerine PocketPaks Also, it's likely that the culprit is post-nasal drip from something in your sinuses or nose, so if you address that issue, your throat will likely clear up as well. Something like a Neti Pot might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamsFamily Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Organic Apple cider vinegar - cuts through the phlegm. Slippery elm cough drops (TMI alert....) Are you close to your menses? That will cause your throat/vocal cords to be a bit swollen. I learned that from a music teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 You might consider a trip to the dr.; a steroid can help if you get desperate. Apple Cider Vinegar is awesome for sore throats. Try to get the organic as it's a lot less bitter and sharp to swallow. (A teaspoon a few times a day and aim for the back of your mouth.) You can gargle with it, but it will put hair on your chest and can take your breath away. Hope you feel better. Honey is always good too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 (edited) You gals are tremendous. A million thanks. Stupid me, I've been reading most of our school work out loud, and then I let the girls read the rest. Tomorrow we'll take off a day or two from SL things. So far I have had a steamy shower, throat coat tea with raw honey :), gargled twice with Braggs apple cider vinegar :ack2: and eliminated all dairy. Goodbye, dear cheese... I've taken vitamins, olive leaf, and Anti-Plague (you don't want to know!). Drinking lots of lemon water. :auto: to the bathroom, too! I have a doctor's appt. scheduled for tomorrow morning...if I don't, the choir may think I'm faking lol. It's time for more tea. Thank you again for your great advice. I've taken notes. ETA: I am praying a lot, too! Edited December 6, 2011 by Blueridge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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