Quitting smoking, drinking enough water, limiting shouting and not clearing your throat are ways to keep your larynx healthy and not hoarse.
Voice plays an important role in daily life. However, we often lose our voice after catching a cold, seasonal allergies, with symptoms of cough and hoarseness. Here are some ways to preserve and protect your voice.
Quit smoking and drinking
Smoking can introduce nicotine, chemicals, and heat into the lungs. From there, cigarettes cause inflammation, swelling, irritation of the vocal cords and increase the risk of cancer in organs such as the mouth, nose, throat, and lungs.
Drinking too much alcohol and coffee can irritate the mucous membranes lining the throat, dry out the vocal cords and strain the vocal cords. Therefore, everyone should quit smoking, limit alcohol and coffee consumption to avoid dehydration.
Drinking water is a way to lubricate the throat, so you need to drink enough water every day. Foods that help increase hydration and are good for the throat are apples, pears, watermelon, peaches, melons, grapes, plums, and bell peppers.
Avoid speaking too loudly
Shouting, cheering loudly, and talking in places with excessive noise can put unnecessary strain on the vocal cords. Over time, the vocal cords become swollen and red, leading to changes in the vocal folds.
Warm up your throat before speaking.
Warming up your voice isn't just for singers. To protect your voice, people can vibrate their lips or tongue in the morning, sing, or blow bubbles through a straw into a water bottle to help them breathe better, reducing strain on their throat and jaw.
Good voice is an important factor in communication. Photo: Freepik
Overcoming acid reflux
Acid reflux from the stomach into the throat can damage the vocal cords. People with this condition should monitor their health and seek medical treatment. Signs of acid reflux include frequent heartburn, a bad taste in the mouth in the morning, bloating, belching, a lump in the back of the throat, and hoarseness.
No throat clearing
Hoarseness is a warning sign that the vocal cords are irritated, causing the body to constantly clear the throat. People with colds also have the habit of clearing the throat frequently because of severe coughing. If the throat is dry, tired or the voice is increasingly hoarse, each person should limit talking and sip water or suck on a throat lozenge.
Breathe properly
Practicing good breathing techniques can help your voice become clearer. Some helpful breathing exercises for the larynx include pursed lip breathing and diaphragmatic (belly) breathing.
To practice diaphragmatic breathing correctly, first practice lying on your back. Next, place one hand on your chest and the other on your ribs. Then, take a deep breath until your belly expands and exhale. If you breathe correctly, your ribs will rise and fall but your chest and shoulders will not move. Repeat for 5-10 minutes every day. As you become more comfortable, practice diaphragmatic breathing while sitting and eventually standing.
Huyen My (According to Cleveland Clinic, Live Science )
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