7 Super Quick Sore Throat Remedies For Singers

If you’ve been singing long term, you’ve probably been in the dreaded situation where a performance is approaching and for one reason or another, your voice is feeling and sounding rough.

There are many different reasons why a singer or performer may experience a sore throat. It could be caused by a change in weather or your environment, a viral infection such as a cold or the flu, overuse from singing for a long period of time, from dehydration, or pure lack of sleep.

Whatever the cause, irritation in the throat is due to dryness and inflammation. This then causes the larynx and vocal cords to swell and typically results in hoarseness, nasal congestion, sniffing, coughing — all of which make your voice sound even worse.

For singers, these problems can escalate fast. Singing with an already sore throat only increases pain, irritation, and raspiness — leaving your voice unable to heal. Medication and pain relieving agents like cough drops or numbing spray help to minimize the feeling of discomfort, but the root of the discomfort doesn’t go away for quite some time. 

Remember, the throat is sore because the vocal cords are dry and inflamed, so the problem must be addressed with decreasing the dryness and irritation. 

Just like an athlete may suffer from pain and physical body aches from overuse — singers go through similar problems. Because vocal cords are indeed muscles of the throat, it is easy to stretch your voice too far and strain it, just like any other muscle in your body. 

If you get a sore throat frequently from singing, it may be from performing songs out of your vocal range, not warming up or warming down properly, or from bad control of your breath. 

If you are a singer with a performance approaching soon, but are suffering from an irritated throat and raspy voice — you need a fix fast. Again, this is no professional medical advice but simply a suggested list of at-home DIY remedies to help with a sore throat. 

These 7 natural remedies have been praised by many professional singers who need to quickly get their voice back on par and they can help you do the same. Take a look at the list below: 

Turns out Grandma’s around the world were right — saltwater is one of the best home remedies for sore throat, as it helps decrease inflammation, irritation, and swelling. Salt functions as a magnet so when it hits the back of your throat, it’s essentially drawing out irritants or infection and bringing them to the surface of your throat. This is then where the human body can then deal with the toxins in a better way.

All you need to do is to dissolve ¼-½  teaspoon of salt into eight ounces of warm water and gargle every one to two hours. Just know, gargling salt water won’t magically cure your sore throat and it definitely won’t cure a viral infection. However, it does soothe irritation and provide symptomatic relief when done consistently. It’s even said to have preventative benefits as well. 

Intaking dry air can irritate your throat and contribute to a dry cough and inflammation of the vocal cords. This is particularly common in winter months when heating units pump dry air into our office and homes.

Humidifiers help to maintain proper humidity levels which then helps to loosen phlegm, alleviate cough, and combat congestion symptoms such as a sore throat. Using a humidifier has even more health benefits because proper humidity levels can reduce the survival of flu viruses on surfaces and in the air. 

To take this remedy even further, you can add essential oils like eucalyptus, peppermint, lemon, and tea tree to your humidifier. These oils plus others have strong antiseptic, antibacterial and antiviral properties. When inhaled, the essential oils go directly through the air passages to the throat and then act quickly to fight the infection and discomfort of the throat ailment.

If you don’t have a humidifier, the same trick will work in a hot shower or bath. Put a few drops of essential oil on the bottom of the shower floor and the steam from the water will act just as the humidifier would. Just remember, some essential oils can be harmful to pets and children. Be sure to do your research before using humidifiers to ensure it is safe for your loved ones. 

The anti-inflammatory and natural antibacterial properties of honey help lessen mucus secretion and heal a sore throat. Drinking one cup of warm water with one teaspoon of honey may reduce pain, combat inflammation, and settle a cough.

Ginger is a precious herb utilized to heal the inflamed mucous membrane of the larynx and other respiratory woes. Proofs have revealed that the antibacterial properties of ginger can greatly reduce inflammation. Taking a sip of ginger tea or adding shred pieces of ginger to hot water helps eliminate pain or sore throat.

Hydration is also very crucial as it assists in keeping the throat moist and allows mucus to clear away. Intake plenty of warm fluid like water, soup, and herbal teas to help maintain hydration and prevent the throat from drying out, thus averting the risk of infection.

Apple cider vinegar has been a hot topic within the health field in most recent years. ACV has many uses and health benefits, including its antimicrobial properties that can help fight infection from the body. It is proven to loosen phlegm, boost the immune system, and create an alkaline environment in the body — which helps to kill off some bacteria and viruses. 

All you need to do is mix one or two tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar (Dr. Bragg is my personal preference) into some warm water and chug it back. The taste of the ACV is less than pleasant, so it’s recommended to add honey, lemon, and/or herbal tea to the solution. Drink once or twice a day until your symptoms improve. 

Keep note that ACV must always be diluted when ingested because it’s potency can burn and cause harm to your esophagus and stomach lining. With that said, people with acid reflux or stomach ulcers should avoid this remedy or any other acidic drink entirely. 

In order to advance the healing process of your sore throat and hoarse voice, avoid the following:

• Unnecessary Vocal Cord Use - the additional stress on your throat leads to more inflammation and a longer healing time. 

• Whispering - It sounds strange but this puts more stress on your vocal cords than speaking typically. 

• Alcohol - Staying well hydrated is necessary for healing. Therefore, alcohol should be completely avoided because of its dehydrating effect.

• OTC Cold Medicines -  those that have decongestant ingredients can make your throat dry, leading to more irritation.

• Smoking - smoke and nicotine irritates the throat, which leads to coughing and prolonged healing time.