List of laryngitis remedies
Rima Olson
Greetings all --
I recieved a huge number of responses to my request for laryngitis remedies.
Thought I'd post them here, so that maybe others can benefit from them too.
Incidently, my music partner managed to sing a couple of songs at the
concert Friday night. A little rough, but beautiful and touching never the
less.
Thanks for all the help -- and I hope this list helps other singers in turn!
Hello all --
A couple of people requested that I post my list of laryngitis remedies to
the list... so here it is! Again, my thanks to everyone who sent
suggestions.
____________________________________________________________________________
From: Sherry Lerner <she...@infonetics.com>
I'm thinking that perhaps this is the cause of the inability...The
mind is very strong and strange. Your partner should above all STOP
TRYING...Sing low and soft and if she hasn't cried yet, let it out.
It is likely that a concern about getting emotional while trying to
perform is stopping things. Also, if there is (yuk) post-nasal drip
as a result of this cold, it is affecting the vocal cords. A mild
decongestant, warm tea to soothe, try not to clear the throat or
cough. If you're into it, the use of harmonics can help tremendously.
Best of luck, and certainly, my condolences...
Sherry
____________________________________________________________________________
I just *cured* my very, very bad throat yesterday. I was amazed to find that
I sang incredibly well last night, after suffering from too many gigs this
week. I mean, I couldn't even talk after my gig on Wed. night, and I'm a
*singer*.
First, the key is rest. Lay down as much as possible to get your body ready
for the gig. Skip the running around.
I've been boiling Slippery Elm powder (taken from capsules I got at the
health food store) and making tea. I've been drinking it all day long. I
even
took a thermos of it to the gig with me. It's kinda gross, but it coats your
throat and soothes it.
I made myself do a couple of vapor baths (Vicks in HOT water, put my head
over the pan and put a towel over my head to keep the steam in.) I tried to
relax my throat as much as possible, while breathing in the steam.
Vitamin C. Lozenges are good, but I just took some. It gets the white blood
cells multiplying or something.
Gobs of water, all day. Not cold, with lemon or lime.
I filled the tub with hot water and sat in the bathroom for a while to get
as
much hot, moist air as possible.
Lots of stretching of your throat. Mock yawns; Pull your tongue out and do a
few vocalises--gross, but it works. It stretches the muscles. [It got me
through my record release last year when I had laryngitis for 5 days prior
to
the gig.] Don't overdo it with the vocalises.Minimal preparation, so that
you
can save your voice.
Think moisture, warmth and rest.
Hope this helps. It's a lot of stuff, but I needed to get through my gig
last
night and felt like I had to pull out all the stops.
Good luck.
Patti Shea
com...@aol.com
____________________________________________________________________________
Serendipitously enough, a co-worker asked me the same question
about her laryngitis, with her playing a gig on Sunday. Since I had a
voice lesson scheduled last night [w/Dede Wyland in Frederick, MD], I
thought to ask Dede on my friend's behalf. I spaced and did not bring the
piece of paper with her suggestions to work, but there are a few things
that I remember:
[just called home to get the list read to me]
Take:
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp karo syrup
1 gallon water
I assume this concoction is heated, since the instructions say to
inhale [vapors only, I hope] with a towel over your head.
Also gargle with a salt water mixture [1/4 tsp salt per glass of
water [presumably lukewarm]
Don't whisper--it's harder on your vocal apparatus.
Crank up the mic so that you don't have to push your voice
Use a light and airy tone [as opposed to a whisper]
Open your throat, which lowers the larynx
Caveat singor ;-) Good luck!!
-Henry Koretzky Harrisburg, PA h...@psulias.psu.edu
____________________________________________________________________________
From: BAMsi...@aol.com
It's awfully hard to rush through voice-lessness, and I'm so sorry to hear
about the awful timing of this bout. One thing I remember from my voice
student days....DON'T WHISPER. As I shout saying this! Whispering forces
air through and it is harder on the chords. Try thinking about Minnie
MOuse....talk quietly, high, squeaky even, and slowly bring the voice back
down in pitch. also, try SLOWLY vocal exercises, like sirens starting high
and Mmmm-ing, sirening down lower.
Good luck, and let us know how it comes out. It's a tough nite and I'm sure
the body is aware of that. My sympathies on the death of your friend's
husband.
Anita Silvert
____________________________________________________________________________
If it's a cold it's probably NOT laryngitis.
It's probably phlegm sticking to your larynx.
no promises, but....
...SOMETIMES, inhaling VICK'S Vapo-Steam, then breathing heavily THROUGH
the larynx will shift it. Also suck LOTS of Hall's Mentholyptus...
Finally...this may sound strange, but trust me on this one...
Eating hot soup will warm the laryngal area and sometimes thus loosens the
phlegm on the other side of the division between the oesophegus and the
larynx...
Can't do any harm, anyhow! :>
Hope one of these helps in time...
All the best...
Earl Okin.
sp...@spats.demon.co.uk
44.171.727.6375
London, UK.
____________________________________________________________________________
Rima,
When I was a little girl my mother used to make a HOT toddy with
honey-1TBSP, lemon-1TBSP, and Jack Daniels-3TBSP; approx 2-3 times through
out the day. After that, every hour on the hour, I'd have to gargle with a
nasty mixture of hot vinegar and salt water (EPSOM's salt). This worked for
me. Meanwhile I wasn't aloud to try to speak.(Don't know if this was because
I was a talkative kid, or because it actually helped.) Rima, it worked for
me
as a child, so it should work for your friend. My prayers and condolences
attached as well.
-------------------------------------
Name: Jackie Tidwell
E-mail: jac...@ktc.com (Jackie Tidwell)
____________________________________________________________________________
From: "Werhane, David" <WER...@MIS.HSMNET.COM>
Hi,
I have has this problem before when I was performing in musicals. I would
recommend first as much warm salt water you partner can drink (LOTS and
LOTS). Also I have used Vicks cold drops and They have Cloreseptic spay.
(Both work but the WARM salt water seems to work the best)
I hope this helps. I will keep you both in my thoughts. Good Luck
Dave Werhane
P.S. no whispering (Whispering hurts your voice much worse than talking)
____________________________________________________________________________
From: Cindy Laufenberg <TheEd...@AOL.COM>
Rima,
The lead singer of my band swears by Slippery Elm tea, she's really
succeptible to laryngitis, everytime she gets a cold she loses her voice,
and that always helps. Pennyroyal tea works well, too.
Good luck!!!
--Cindy
____________________________________________________________________________
From: "Kyle W. Harris" <10247...@CompuServe.COM>
Rima,
First of all, I am so sorry about your partner's loss. Speaking from
personal
experience, serious emotional trauma on top of a cold can lead to laryngitis
(especially if you've been crying a lot.) I don't know if this will reach
you in time.
I'm pretty prone to laryngitis myself, so here are a lot of the things I do
to deal with it:
1. Don't talk. Don't even whisper. Don't try to use your voice in
any way until you absolutely have to (for a gig).
2. Drink lots and lots of water. LOTS. (Even more than THAT!)
3.. DON'T gargle. For some reason, that makes it worse, even though
it seems the opposite would be true.
4. You might try taking some aspirin. Aspirin reduces swelling
somewhat. (Real aspirin, not tylenol or those kinds of things)
5. If she knows any warm-up exercises for the vocal cords, they
might help. But only just before she has to sing.
6. DON'T use straight lemon juice. It can burn the vocal cords and
cause later damage, even though it might seem like a quick fix right now.
7. For future reference (this won't help you for tonight), when I
have been truly desperate (a bunch of big gigs coming up and no voice at
all), I have gone to the doctor for a cortisone shot called "kenilog" (or
"kenalog"?). I try to only have one maybe once a year, twice at the
absolute most and only if REALLY necessary. It takes a few days to take
effect (it reduces the swelling of the vocal cords), and does not guarantee
results. But it does work for me, and has saved my professional (and
financial) life several times. The doctor I go to for this specializes in
sports medicine, and therefore understands muscles (which the larynx
certainly is). So you might try that if you need to further down the line.
The teas you are using sound like the right kind. I have a blend
that I keep on hand that contains licorice root, marshmallow root,
coltsfoot, elecampane, and sage. If you can get horehound drops (made from
REAL horehound extract or tea, not "horehound flavor"), they might help too.
If you can get hold of any horehound, you might try making a strong tea,
then adding a BUNCH of honey or brown sugar and cooking it down to a syrup.
Horehound is great for the vocal cords, but its taste is really bitter and
it requires lots of sweetening.
Good luck. I'll be thinking of you all tonight. Once again, please
convey my condolences to your partner.
Sue Harris
folksinger
____________________________________________________________________________
From: Mike Agranoff <MAgr...@AOL.COM>
Too late to help you for this trip (5:55 PM), but for future, I found myself
in a similar situation before a fairly major gig (Ark in Ann Arbor, Mich).
What I wound up doing was simply not using my voice at all for the entire
day before the gig to rest it. I then re-strung my guitar with heavy gage
strings and tuned it three frets low. The lower keys seemed to fit the
revised range of my voice fairly well, and I got through it pretty well.
(Easy when you're playing solo. Tough when you're in a band, or playing
with a fixed-pitch instrument that isn't amenable to that sort of trick.)
Mike Agranoff
____________________________________________________________________________
From: Marla Stair <MES...@AOL.COM>
Check out the homeopathic counter @ your local health stores. This is an
inexpensive remedy and I've always had excellent results. Especially when
I'm trying to heal for an up coming performance. I once cured a mild case
of laryngitis in one day by using this method.
Looking up laryngitis in my little BOIRON book, (a brand name), there are
several medicines listed. She should check out the symptoms for each,
(which are listed on the displays), and pick the one that she thinks suits
her situation. There are different brands and they usually come in pill
formula. You disolve them under the tongue every few hours, (no taste). A
bottle ususally goes for $4-5.
Some of the listings:
- Hepar sulphuris calcareum
- Phytolacca decandra
- Spongia tosta
But, I agree w/ Sherry. It sounds like the cause in w/in the psyche, not
the throat.
I'll keep her in my thoughts, too.
Marla
____________________________________________________________________________
____________
From: esco...@earthlink.net (elizabeth scotten)
hi. i know this is probably too late, but i've found 12x homeopathic
belladonna and echinacea/ginger syrup to be effective for throat probs.
otherwise, a good, old fashioned hot toddy? (unless you're avoiding whisky)
good luck. hope the concert went well.
- eliz.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________
From: "M.Cakebread" <ca...@ionline.net>
I know this is a little late, but get your partner to try slippery elm
throat lozenges (should be easily available at a health food store).
It's been claimed that singers have been using this effectively for
many, many, years. If this is true?
Good Luck,
Mike
____________________________________________________________________________
____________
From: SueL1...@aol.com
just saw your posting regarding your partner's throat problems.
Of course part of the problem has to do with her husband's death. And that
part is unfortunately the ultimate of stress.
My friend Ann Ruckert coaches professional singers. Aside from the stress
issue, here is what Ann recommends. I hope it's helpful...
Very very hot shower, steamy bathroom and while in the shower, use a nasal
douche of a light saline solution. An eye dropper will work fine.
Next, use a hot, hot gargle of saline solution. Hot as she can stand it.
Damp warm scarves should be wrapped around her throat.
And if possible, during the memorial concert, she should try to sip hot tea
with honey and lemon.
Good luck.
-Sue Leventhal
Assistant to David Buskin
____________________________________________________________________________
____________
From: Tsuna...@aol.comRima -
Sorry to hear about your partner's voice problems.
Spicy food might help. I once gave a singer some hot salsa and that cleared
up the throat crud problem.
-- Jamie Anderson
____________________________________________________________________________
____________
From: RedWa...@aol.com
I know it's after the concert, but for the future there's an herbal liquid
that's worked wonders for me called <propolis extract>. Make sure to get the
kind made by Twinlab with the green and yellow label (available at most
vitamin/whole food stores). At the first sign of scratchiness take a dropper
full directly to the throat and let it drip down trying to aim at the sore
spot. Don't drink for a few minutes afterwards letting it sit on the chords
for a while. Repeat a few times/day. It's a miracle drug. But not to be
overused because it's potent and has golden seal.
Good luck
____________________________________________________________________________
From: ap...@int1.mhrcc.org
Sorry this is probably not in time, but for future use-
slippery elm bark,
comfrey root
and comfrey powder made up into a well steeped tea, absolutley brings back a
voice.
I add a mint tea bag to make it palatable.
It really works. I wish I had other gems to bring back people, but that we
all
have to cope with the old fashioned way.
All the best,
Angela Page
Dan Harmon
Thanks for sharing the really helpful input. I'll be trying some
of those suggestions.
Personally, I'd like to emphasize Vitamin C, primarily as a
preventative. For several years I drank grapefruit juice every day
and never got so much as the sniffles. After I lost the grapefruit
juice habit, I found myself back in my two-colds-a-year cycle. For
me, days 4-7 of a cold are when my voice drops about an octave and
turns to laryngitis if I try to sing, or even talk much.
Nowadays, I normally take a 1,000mg Vitamin C tablet every day, and
although it's not as effective as GF juice, I'm bothered by colds
or laryngitis (which always result from colds, in my experience)
only about once a year. When I feel an infection developing at the
back of my throat, I OD on Vitamin C - five to ten 1,000mg tablets
a day - and I swear it diminishes the duration and overall effects
of the cold. (A cousin of mine who's a surgeon does the same thing
and reports the same diminished damage, although he won't
"officially" endorse Vitamin C as a cold stopper.)
Dan Harmon (Harmonym)
editor, The Hornpipe
http://members.gnn.com/hornpipe
Jim Lawton
Dan Harmon wrote:
>
> Thanks for sharing the really helpful input. I'll be trying some
> of those suggestions.
>
*And* not mentioned here, but I find that for those threatening tickles
and 'drynesses' which seem to appear whenever I need my voice in
good order (psychological?) we have these things called liquorice 'imps'
in the UK which are little hard compressed pellets of liquorice and
menthol, which seem to lubricate and sooth the throat. (but they make
the Taylor's draught landlord taste odd ... Oh well, its for my art!
Cheers Jim