How to Take Care of Your Voice When You're Sick and Need to Sing

Sooner or later, it happens to every singer. You wake up with a sore throat. You open your mouth to talk, and all that comes out is a raspy, froggy sound. You have an audition or a performance later that day. The panic sinks in. In those situations where you absolutely must sing later that day, despite being sick, there are measures you can take to try to get your voice back up to par.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hot water
• Lemon
• Honey
• Water at room temperature
• Candies/mints
• Throat Coat tea

1. Stop talking immediately. Don't even whisper--whispering puts as much strain on vocal chords as shouting does. If you must talk, do so at a normal volume but keep it short.

2. Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water (at room temperature; this is not the time to be drinking ice-cold water). To soothe your throat, drink hot water with lemon and honey. Many singers also swear by Throat Coat tea, which soothes and hydrates the throat.

3. Suck on candies or mints to stimulate your saliva flow. This will also help keep your vocal chords hydrated. Avoid medicinal throat drops and cough syrups, however, as these often contain alcohol and can cause dryness.

4. Warm up slowly before you need to sing. Don't push yourself for more volume than you're capable of giving right now.

Tips & Warnings

• Some singers recommend eating potato chips when you're suffering from laryngitis, claiming that the oil from the chips serves as a sort of lubricant for your vocal chords. While this method works for some people, keep in mind that potato chips also contain a lot of salt, which is counterproductive when you're trying to stay hydrated.
• Stay away from spicy or acidic foods before you need to sing.
• It's unlikely that your voice will be at 100 percent by the time you need to perform. But if you use these tips throughout the day, chances are you'll at least be in good enough shape to get through your performance. However, if it hurts to sing, you probably shouldn't perform. It's unlikely that the audition or performance is important enough to risk doing permanent damage to your vocal chords.