Sometimes you may feel abnormal changes in your voice pitch and volume to sound hoarse. This hoarseness of voice usually occurs when your upper respiratory tract is affected by cold, strep throat or laryngitis.
Other common causes of hoarse voice are speaking continuously for a long time, yelling and smoking. Throat inflammation of larynx, tumors and cancers can also cause a hoarse voice. All these causes irritation or injury to the vocal cords leading to hoarse voice.
Treatment of hoarse voice largely depends on treating the underlying condition. Most of the time only home remedies can get rid of your hoarse voice and you may not require any other medication.
However, untreated hoarseness can lead to complications and may cause permanent damage to you your voice and you may begin to sound differently for ever. Check with your doctor if the hoarseness of voice persists for more than 3-4 days.
Your symptoms of hoarse voice may range from strained and raspy sounds and the volume may become very week of faded to getting out of breath. Sometimes your volumes may become loud and the pitch will either be lower or higher but will not remain normal.
3 Home Remedies for Hoarse Voice due to Cough and Other Respiratory Conditions
Depending on the underlying condition your hoarse voice can be treated effectively. If you voice has changed due to cough, cold, laryngitis, acid reflux or other common respiratory problems, then the following remedies will help.
1. Moisten Your Respiratory Tracts
The very first step you have to take to get rid of the horse voice is to moisten your sinuses and respiratory tract. You can do that by the following two methods
- Steaming - Inhaling steam can moisten your sinuses and release the mucus that is struck. the removal of mucus will clear the tract and your voice will gradually begin to get normalcy. Do it 3 times a day for 3-4 days or even a week until your voice becomes normal.
- Gargling - Gargling with warm salt water will clear your throat. You can do gargling as many times as you can during the day for the next 3-4 days. It is easy and less time consuming so do it at least 3 times a day
- Neti - If you an access to neti pot, then do the neti with warm salt water. It clears the sinuses , the nose and the throat of the mucus quickly.
All these methods add moisture and heat to clear the sinuses and respiratory tract. Even your doctor will recommend these home remedies along with other medicine. So beat the doctor and do it as soon as you begin to get the initial symptoms of hoarseness in your voice.
2. Ginger Tea
Ginger is the first thing that comes to your mind when you have a cough, cold or any other respiratory tract infections. it has been used for ages around the word for treating these conditions.
Your hoarse voice will also go away as the underlying cause is treated. ginger usually does a good job. add ginger in your food and drink ginger tea.
- peel an inch of ginger root
- finely chop or crush and boil in a glass of water.
- boil it until the water is reduced to half
- strain and let it cool for sometime until it becomes palatable.
- drink ginger tea and enjoy.
3. Onion Honey and Lemon Juice
Onion is an excellent remedy for hoarse voice. You can extract onion juice and add honey and lemon for taste as well as additional help in clearing your throat.
- crush a large onion in a mixer/blender suitable for onions
- squeeze the juice out of the crushed onion with the help of a strainer
- add one teaspoon of honey and a few drops of lemon
- add the mixture to a cup of warm water and drink it slowly
This drink will give you instant relief and your voice will gradually become normal. Drink it 2 times a day until you regain your original voice.
Sometimes the infection grows so fast that hoarseness of voice quickly turns into no voice. You lose your voice completely. No need to panic. Just follow the above remedies and you will regain your voice within a day or two.