This article was originally written in Turkish and has been translated into English with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). The translation may contain errors; the original Turkish version is the authoritative text.
In my earlier articles I tried to inform you about various topics concerning our voice and how our voice affects us in daily life.
Our voice is part of our life (all the more so if we earn our living with it). If we do not look after it, then just like our other organs it loses its former health after a while and slowly abandons us. For those who practise their profession using their voice, protecting it should be a way of life.
Can you imagine an actor or singer about to go on stage, a broadcaster presenting the news every day, a politician campaigning in public squares or a scientist about to give a lecture losing their voice, coughing frequently while speaking, or finding that their voice has dropped and sounds different from their own? You cannot imagine how much these people suffer.
In this article I wanted to write about what you can do to protect the health of your voice in very urgent situations. My aim is to cover sudden situations when you have no time to see a doctor but must do your work — for example, you have lost your voice and every ticket for your opera, play or concert has been sold. What can be done urgently at such times, and what should we do beforehand to avoid facing such a situation?
Our biggest problem is sudden changes in the weather. Especially in winter, when we go outside we should keep our mouth tightly closed, or else achieve the same effect through saliva by sucking a sweet or chewing gum. When our tonsils pick up an infection, our voice is also affected or becomes hoarse. In such cases, if we dissolve two aspirins in a glass of lukewarm water, gargle with the aspirin water and spit it out, we will see that the tonsils do not affect the voice. One of the greatest dangers for those who earn their living with their voice is tonsil surgery. When this organ, whose task is to protect the vocal cords, is removed surgically, the protective factor disappears; we frequently get laryngitis and pharyngitis and can never achieve a healthy voice. That is why these operations, which parents generally have performed on young children, cause problems for the voice in adolescence, when children’s voices mature. For throat tickles caused by sudden changes in the weather, Avicenna (Ibn Sina) stated that mixing two spoons of honey, two spoons of vinegar, two spoons of lemon juice and a pinch of cinnamon and drinking it would end the tickle. Likewise, years ago when I shared the stage with the famous Azerbaijani State Artist Lütfiyar İmanov, he told me that for hoarseness, putting apple peel into red wine, bringing the wine to the boil and drinking it hot opens up the voice and makes it more beautiful. Gargling with a sip of whisky and swallowing it before using the voice both kills the germs around the vocal cords and overcomes nervousness. Every morning straight after waking up, the nasal passages and throat should be rinsed by squirting saline solution into each nostril with a 5 cc syringe. This removes the discomfort that can arise from the mucous membrane drying out overnight and the negative effects of viruses or germs that may have multiplied in that area. In addition, for throat complaints in general, gargling with a teaspoon of salt dissolved in a glass of lukewarm water has a soothing effect.
Take 1.5 kilos of quinces and remove the seeds and the hard core. Boil them in 1.5 litres of water until you obtain a thick, pink liquid. Pour the liquid into a container. Drink 2–3 dessert spoons morning and evening. It is good for complaints such as a dry throat, tickling, coughing and hoarseness.
Dissolve a dessert spoon of honey in a tea glass of water and add a dessert spoon of natural apple cider vinegar. It is most beneficial to drink this mixture in the morning.
Bake a large onion wrapped in aluminium foil in the oven at 175–200 degrees for 40–50 minutes. Once cooked, the onion completely loses its sharpness and smell. Take it out of the foil and eat it warm. It is recommended to drink a tea glass of milk afterwards and to do this at night before going to bed. It has a preventive and healing effect on throat complaints. This should be continued for 40 days.
Boil 7–8 heads of garlic, broken into several pieces, with about a glass of milk in a small pot. After boiling, add 2–3 dessert spoons of honey and stir. Drink it warm. Although it does not taste pleasant, it is good for coughs and throat complaints.
Finely chopping a thin cabbage leaf into the same amount of milk, boiling it and drinking it is also said to soothe the throat.
In the case of phlegm building up in the chest and post-nasal drip, brewing a pinch of French lavender (karabaş otu), adding 2–3 cloves and drinking the infusion hot like tea makes the complaint disappear.
Eating two apples one after the other every day helps make the body resistant to illness.
In the winter months, courses of fish oil containing vitamins A, E and D, and of vitamin C and calcium, will also be good for general health.
Drinking linden tea with plenty of lemon and cinnamon is known to be very beneficial for the voice.
Boil a glass of milk and let it cool until it is warm enough to drink. Then stir in a dessert spoon of bicarbonate of soda and drink it slowly. Then lie down and cover yourself with thick blankets so that you sweat. Afterwards, taking care not to get cold, take a lukewarm shower. This remedy helps bring down a fever, relieves coughing and builds resistance to colds and flu.
Take a warm, almost hot shower. Rub the body thoroughly from head to toe with a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Put on thick clothes and cover yourself with thick blankets so that you sweat well. Two hours later, taking care not to get cold, shower again. This remedy is effective in bringing down a fever and builds resistance to colds and flu; it is best done in the evening so that the body can recover.
Now let us talk about the plants that are good for our voice. When used correctly, these plants have been seen to benefit the health of the voice.
1. Red Pepper
Red pepper is the most effective, almost miraculous plant among herbal remedies. Red pepper, which has a stimulating effect on the whole body, helps relieve infections and swelling of the vocal cords. In addition, by reducing sore throats, red pepper helps calm inflammation and prevents a potential infection from developing. Accordingly:
You can drink 5 drops of red pepper extract or a pinch of red pepper powder mixed with a little lukewarm water. If you like, you can also add some honey to this mixture.
2. Liquorice Root
Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, liquorice root helps heal inflammation in tissues and organs, and it also has anti-allergic properties. For this reason liquorice root helps relieve the damage and fatigue of the vocal cords caused especially by overuse. Liquorice root allows the vocal cords to rest and recover.
3. Marshmallow
Marshmallow (marshmallow root, hatmi) is a flowering plant that is good for hoarseness, coughs and some lung conditions such as bronchitis. The sweet, gummy mucilage that seeps from the marshmallow plant has softening and soothing properties, and it also has a healing effect. For this reason, this mucilage helps reduce excess mucus secretion in the body and calms the tissues that produce mucus. Marshmallow is also good for coughs.
4. Propolis
Propolis is a resinous mixture with a texture similar to honey. Made up of secretions that honey bees collect in their hives from tree buds, plant extracts and other plant sources, propolis is an excellent natural remedy. As well as having antibacterial properties equal to or greater than penicillin, it also has antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. Propolis, which fights infections of the throat and tonsils, is also good for hoarseness. Breaking down the mucus formed in the sinuses, propolis is an excellent source of healing that reduces swelling in the throat. Accordingly:
- You can drink 1 tablespoon of propolis mixed with 1 glass of lukewarm water.
- Or you can take 1 tablespoon of propolis, 1 glass of lukewarm water and any of the medicinal herbs on this list, mixed together.
5. Sage
Sage, known as a cure for every ill, is good both for throat problems and for the vocal cords, especially when used as a gargle. Generally known for its positive effects in treating sore throats, sage — preferably mixed with liquorice root and propolis and used as a gargle — is good for the vocal cords and helps treat laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx).
6. Slippery Elm
Slippery elm, a plant that grows in the United States and Canada, supports the mucous membranes of the throat and lungs and is good for swelling and inflammation of the lungs and throat. Thanks to its soothing effect, slippery elm helps soften irritated tissues. It is also good for a dry throat and for the vocal cords, and it is found in most cough syrups.
NOTE: Slippery elm is not suitable for use by pregnant or breastfeeding women.
7. Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the most widely used natural remedies in Indian and Chinese medicine. Known mainly for being good for inflammation, turmeric has strong anti-inflammatory properties thanks to the curcumin it contains. Effective when the vocal cords are overused, damaged and tired, turmeric is also good for sore throats. Used as a gargle, turmeric is also effective for children aged 8 and over. With its maximum healing effect, turmeric is a remedy that singers in particular can use safely, because it has a calming effect on tired vocal cords.
8. Other Natural Remedies
Other natural remedies that are good for the vocal cords and especially help relieve hoarseness are as follows:
- Ginger (helps relieve inflammation, has a softening effect and relieves hoarseness)
- Honey (helps relieve throat irritation and inflammation, rests the vocal cords)
- Apple cider vinegar (especially good for laryngitis, with antimicrobial properties)
- Salt-water gargle (helps the voice return to normal, prevents throat irritation with its antiseptic properties)
- Steam treatment (good for hoarseness)
- Lemon (softens the vocal cords and throat, prevents and treats inflammation, and prevents the spread of infection thanks to its vitamin C)
- Garlic (prevents inflammation, helps reduce aches in the vocal cords and speeds recovery, good for hoarseness)
- Cardamom (especially green cardamom, good for hoarseness and fights inflammation)
NOTE: Always consult your doctor before using the methods mentioned here, because some plants can have negative effects on the human body, such as allergic reactions. It is therefore appropriate and healthy to use the methods described here only after making sure you are not allergic to these plants and after your doctor has confirmed this.
Additional Tips
- Eat frozen fruit-flavoured ice cream (sorbet)
- Avoid shouting and yelling
- Avoid harsh coughing to clear the throat
- Give up smoking, whether as an active or a passive smoker
- Stay away from alcohol
- Keep a humidifier, especially in the room where you sleep
- Take care to drink lukewarm water throughout the day
- Take a hot shower and relieve the airways with the help of the steam
- Stay away from environmental allergens that harm the vocal cords
- If possible, do not use decongestant medicines (as they can cause dryness and irritation of the throat)
- Do deep breathing exercises
Apart from these, it is necessary to stay away from cigarettes and to consume little alcohol, caffeine, milk and dairy products. Products like these cause our vocal cords to dry out and increase phlegm.