Simple home remedies can help if you have lost your voice, provided there is no serious cause for the hoarseness. Even if severe hoarseness and complete loss of voice usually only last a few days, it is not only unpleasant, but can also have more serious consequences if you need your voice for work.
A cold or bronchitis can cause laryngitis, which can result in hoarseness or inability to speak. Too much tobacco smoke, shouting or chemicals as well as reflux can also lead to temporary loss of voice. The loss of voice can be acute, lasting only a few days, or chronic, lasting up to two months.
It is important against hoarseness that the throat and mucous membranes do not become dry. You should drink plenty of fluids and avoid coffee, alcohol and cigarettes. Passive inhalation of cigarette smoke also aggravates the symptoms. The inhaled tobacco irritates the throat and aggravates the inflammation.
The air you breathe should be kept moist with a humidifier. Humidifiers should be cleaned properly to prevent the build-up of bacteria that can exacerbate an infection.
A gargle solution of warm water with half a teaspoon of dissolved salt provides relief. Gargling several times a day accelerates the healing process. Do not dissolve too much salt so that the mucous membranes are not dried out. It is important to gargle gently and carefully so as not to irritate the throat even more. Adding a little lemon juice to the saline solution stimulates salivation and keeps the throat moisturised.
Garlic is an antibiotic household remedy. A bowl of unsalted garlic soup flavoured with herbs is effective against viruses and provides relief from hoarseness. If you are brave enough, you can eat a clove of garlic raw.
Ginger tea has anti-inflammatory properties. The best way to make ginger tea from fresh ginger is to boil the root in water for 30 minutes. Ginger tea can be drunk with a spoonful of honey to promote healing.
Some people swear by a gargle solution for voice loss made from equal parts water and vinegar.
A hot shower with the shower cubicle closed works well against hoarseness because you inhale the hot water vapour. A chamomile steam bath also soothes the inflammation. To do this, boil chamomile tea in a pot, bend your face over it and cover your head with a towel to inhale the hot chamomile vapour.
If you are hoarse or have lost your voice, it is important to protect your voice. Only speak when absolutely necessary and preferably whisper. Protecting your voice is the best way to heal quickly. Antihistamines should be avoided as they dry out the mucous membranes and can prolong the hoarseness. If you also cough up bloody sputum, have a fever or the hoarseness does not go away, you should see a doctor. If the loss of voice is caused by a bacterial infection, it must be treated with antibiotics. Other possible causes of voice loss can be tumours on the vocal cords or in the larynx.
