How to Keep Vocal Cords Hydrated

Keeping your throat, sinus cavity and vocal cords well hydrated is essential to maintaining a quality singing voice. Proper hydration not only gives you the energy needed to sustain a performance, it helps prevent sore throats and vocal cracks.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Drink eight to ten cups of decaffeinated beverages each day. Drinking water is the easiest thing you can do, and it works to thin the layer of mucus that coats the back of the throat, enabling your vocal cords to perform at their optimal level. Be sure to stay away from caffeinated tea, coffee and soda as they actually have a negative impact on hydration.

2. Sleep with a vaporizer near your bed. A moist atmosphere is important to overall hydration.

3. Suck on non-numbing throat lozenges to coat the back of your throat.

4. Avoid certain medications, such as antihistamines and decongestants, which dry out vocal cords. If you have a cold, suffer allergies or have a sinus infection, try a homeopathic remedy, instead. Take a steam bath, or hold your head over a pot of steaming water several times a day. Likewise, try flushing out your sinus cavity using a neti pot filled with a warm saline solution.

5. Chew gum if you experience a dry mouth. Chewing gum produces saliva, which naturally coats the throat and keeps the vocal cords hydrated.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not drink alcohol or suck on antiseptic lozenges. These products numb the back of the throat, which make it difficult for you to recognize the signs of vocal cord strain.