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I’ve recovered from a cold but I still have a hoarse voice. What should I do?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yeptain-leung-1563747">Yeptain Leung</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p>Cold, flu, COVID and <a href="https://theconversation.com/rsv-is-everywhere-right-now-what-parents-need-to-know-about-respiratory-syncytial-virus-208855">RSV</a> have been <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-21/flu-whooping-cough-rsv-cases-up-as-covid-cases-unkown/104002964">circulating across Australia this winter</a>. Many of us have caught and recovered from <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-feel-sick-how-do-i-know-if-i-have-the-flu-covid-rsv-or-something-else-234266">one of these</a> common upper respiratory tract infections.</p> <p>But for some people their impact is ongoing. Even if your throat isn’t <a href="https://theconversation.com/sore-throats-suck-do-throat-lozenges-help-at-all-184454">sore</a> anymore, your voice may still be hoarse or croaky.</p> <p>So what happens to the voice when we get a virus? And what happens after?</p> <p>Here’s what you should know if your voice is still hoarse for days – or even weeks – after your other symptoms have resolved.</p> <h2>Why does my voice get croaky during a cold?</h2> <p>A healthy voice is normally clear and strong. It’s powered by the lungs, which push air past the vocal cords to make them vibrate. These vibrations are amplified in the throat and mouth, creating the voice we hear.</p> <p>The vocal cords are two elastic muscles situated in your throat, around the level of your laryngeal prominence, or Adam’s apple. (Although everyone has one, it tends to be more pronounced in males.) The vocal cords are small and delicate – around the size of your fingernail. Any small change in their structure will affect how the voice sounds.</p> <p>When the vocal cords become inflamed – known as laryngitis – your voice will sound different. Laryngitis is a common part of upper respiratory tract infections, but can also be caused through misuse.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/614706/original/file-20240821-17-nzg1mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/614706/original/file-20240821-17-nzg1mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=366&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/614706/original/file-20240821-17-nzg1mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=366&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/614706/original/file-20240821-17-nzg1mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=366&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/614706/original/file-20240821-17-nzg1mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=460&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/614706/original/file-20240821-17-nzg1mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=460&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/614706/original/file-20240821-17-nzg1mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=460&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Two drawn circles comparing normal vocal cords with inflamed, red vocal cords." /><figcaption><span class="caption">Viruses such as the common cold can inflame the vocal cords.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/dry-sore-loss-cough-virus-viral-1821458117">Pepermpron/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Catching a virus triggers the body’s defence mechanisms. White blood cells are recruited to kill the virus and heal the tissues in the vocal cords. They become inflamed, but also stiffer. It’s harder for them to vibrate, so the voice comes out hoarse and croaky.</p> <p>In some instances, you may find it hard to speak in a loud voice or have a reduced pitch range, meaning you can’t go as high or loud as normal. You may even “lose” your voice altogether.</p> <p>Coughing can also make things worse. It is the body’s way of trying to clear the airways of irritation, including your own mucus dripping onto your throat (<a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/treatments-for-post-nasal-drip">post-nasal drip</a>). But coughing slams the vocal cords together with force.</p> <p>Chronic coughing can lead to persistent inflammation and even thicken the vocal cords. This thickening is the body trying to protect itself, similar to developing a callus when a pair of new shoes rubs.</p> <p>Thickening on your vocal cords can lead to physical changes in the vocal cords – such as developing a growth or “nodule” – and further deterioration of your voice quality.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/614707/original/file-20240821-21-vizs73.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/614707/original/file-20240821-21-vizs73.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=376&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/614707/original/file-20240821-21-vizs73.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=376&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/614707/original/file-20240821-21-vizs73.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=376&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/614707/original/file-20240821-21-vizs73.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=473&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/614707/original/file-20240821-21-vizs73.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=473&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/614707/original/file-20240821-21-vizs73.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=473&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Diagram compares healthy vocal cords with cords that have nodules, two small bumps." /><figcaption><span class="caption">Coughing and exertion can cause inflamed vocal cords to thicken and develop nodules.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/dry-sore-loss-cough-virus-viral-1821458126">Pepermpron/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>How can you care for your voice during infection?</h2> <p>People who use their voices a lot professionally – such as teachers, call centre workers and singers – are often desperate to resume their vocal activities. They are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7478078/">more at risk</a> of forcing their voice before it’s ready.</p> <p>The good news is most viral infections resolve themselves. Your voice is usually restored within five to ten days of recovering from a cold.</p> <p>Occasionally, your pharmacist or doctor may prescribe cough suppressants to limit additional damage to the vocal cords (among other reasons) or mucolytics, which break down mucus. But the most effective treatments for viral upper respiratory tract infections are hydration and rest.</p> <p>Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol and exposure to cigarette smoke. <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/laryngitis#:%7E:text=You%20can%20help%20your%20voice%20recover%20by%3A%201,avoid%20nasal%20decongestants%20%28these%20make%20your%20throat%20drier%29">Inhaling steam</a> by making yourself a cup of hot water will also help clear blocked noses and hydrate your vocal cords.</p> <p>Rest your voice by talking as little as possible. If you do need to talk, don’t whisper – this <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0892199704001730">strains the muscles</a>.</p> <p>Instead, consider using “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0d-oNIMM1y/">confidential voice</a>”. This is a soft voice – not a whisper – that gently vibrates your vocal cords but puts less strain on your voice than normal speech. Think of the voice you use when communicating with someone close by.</p> <p>During the first five to ten days of your infection, it is important not to push through. Exerting the voice by talking a lot or loudly will only exacerbate the situation. Once you’ve recovered from your cold, you can speak as you would normally.</p> <h2>What should you do if your voice is still hoarse after recovery?</h2> <p>If your voice hasn’t returned to normal after <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/laryngitis">two to three weeks</a>, you should seek medical attention from your doctor, who may refer you to an ear nose and throat specialist.</p> <p>If you’ve developed a nodule, the specialist would likely refer you to a speech pathologist who will show you how to take care of your voice. Many nodules can be <a href="https://britishvoiceassociation.org.uk/voicecare_vocal-nodules.htm">treated</a> with voice therapy and don’t require surgery.</p> <p>You may have also developed a habit of straining your vocal cords, if you forced yourself to speak or sing while they were inflamed. This can be a reason why some people continue to have a hoarse voice even when they’ve recovered from the cold.</p> <p>In those cases, a speech pathologist may play a valuable role. They may teach you to exercises that make voicing more efficient. For example, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwNPp-RS4IY">lip trills</a> (blowing raspberries) are a fun and easy way you can learn to relax the voice. This can help break the habit of straining your voice you may have developed during infection.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/236398/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yeptain-leung-1563747">Yeptain Leung</a>, Postdoctoral Research and Lecturer of Speech Pathology, School of Health Sciences, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/ive-recovered-from-a-cold-but-i-still-have-a-hoarse-voice-what-should-i-do-236398">original article</a>.</p> </div>

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5 ways to protect your voice while barracking for the Matildas – and how to treat a hoarse voice after

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-hume-1393423">Amy Hume</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p>“It was definitely loud,” said Matildas player Caitlin Foord last week after the team played Denmark in Sydney, <a href="https://sport.optus.com.au/news/womens-world-cup-2023/os61164/matildas-beat-denmark-wwc-caitlin-foord-wish-loud-crowd-sydney">adding "</a>I loved it. We definitely hear it, we feel it and the louder the crowd I feel the better we are."</p> <p>Now fans are set to get even louder, whether watching at home or in a stadium, as the Australian team prepare to face England in their first-ever World Cup semi final.</p> <p>While the Matildas are warming up their limbs and muscles pre-match, spectators need to warm up our vocal folds. With a barracking job to do, we need to be match-fit. Here’s why.</p> <h2>Why do we need to warm up at all?</h2> <p>A sudden night of cheering can lead to vocal strain. The short-term risk is that you have a hoarse voice for a couple of days. Repeated vocal abuse can lead to <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/voice-disorders">permanent damage</a> that may require therapy or surgery.</p> <p>But with some good habits and preparation, you’ll be able to get loud safely. Here are five ways to build vocal stamina for tonight.</p> <h2>1. Get your body ready</h2> <p>The amount of volume you can have in your voice all begins with your body. If you are feeling tight, especially around the neck and shoulders, the muscles around the vocal folds may <a href="https://britishvoiceassociation.org.uk/voicecare_muscle-tension-dysphonia.htm">overcompensate</a>, giving you a tired or strained feeling. Before the match, take a moment to stretch your neck and shoulders for a more open and relaxed throat, ready to roar.</p> <p>And just as the Matilda’s will aim to stay well hydrated, you should too to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2925668/">protect your voice</a>. The vocal structures consist of soft tissues that vibrate better when wet.</p> <h2>2. Yawn – even though you’re excited</h2> <p>Yawning stretches your soft palate (the fleshy back portion of the roof of the mouth) and its flexibility is essential for safe screaming. A vocal technique called <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8353622/">yawn-sigh</a> can also help stretch and warm up the structures like the tongue and pharynx (the passage at the top back of the throat) that are important for voice.</p> <p>Try yawning “horizontally” – smiling widely as you yawn. Then try yawning in the usual “vertical” way. When yawning horizontally, you should feel a different stretch in the back of your mouth and throat that targets your soft palate.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aFxKt1sexVc?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">‘Yawn a lot,’ says actor Morgan Freeman. ‘It relaxes your throat muscles, it relaxes your vocal chords.’</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>3. Breathe</h2> <p>If the semi final is anything like the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-13/matildas-world-cup-win-over-france-game-stopped-nation/102723254">quarter final against France</a>, it may be hard to remember to breathe. But breath gives your voice <a href="https://voicefoundation.org/health-science/voice-disorders/anatomy-physiology-of-voice-production/breakdowns-result-voice-disorders/#:%7E:text=If%20the%20airflow%20source%20is,for%20long%20periods%20of%20time.">power</a>.</p> <p>If you roar and cheer without a decent in-breath, the muscles of your throat will tense and strain to try to make the sound louder. It’s not efficient and will tire you out quickly. So every time you go to cheer, allow a big breath in first.</p> <h2>4. Work out your vocal folds</h2> <p>Your voice is like a muscle – actually a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535342/">complex arrangement</a> of cartilage, muscle, ligaments and soft layers. If you stretch it before a workout, it will not only make the exercise easier but also aid recovery time.</p> <p>Your vocal folds are small bands of muscle in the larynx, and you can think of them like elastic. If unused, they can lose stretch and have less vibration capacity to produce sound.</p> <p>Simple exercises like humming and lip trilling can help keep the elasticity of your vocal folds. Start with <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/136132802805576436?journalCode=yslh19">humming</a> at a comfortable pitch and glide up and down your range.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ddal_OAzkLQ?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">The vocal folds in action.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>5. Put your whole self into it</h2> <p>Your <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2016.00506/full">voice, body and emotions</a> are constantly taking cues from one another. If you allow your body to be expressive, your voice will follow. Let your fandom take over your whole body and come into your face too – gestures and facial expressions change the sound of your voice and can bring enormous energy to your roars.</p> <p>Fully commit and trust your body and voice. When we are completely connected to communication, huge breaths can fly in, sound travels up through the vocal folds and rings through the body, giving your voice enormous carrying power.</p> <p>If you try to make your voice low pitched when it wants to come out high, or you hold back from being loud when your voice wants to be heard, tension can come into your throat and lead to strain.</p> <h2>How to treat your voice after the match</h2> <p>You got excited. You overdid the shouting. Understandable! After a full match, you may feel some level of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20840041/#:%7E:text=Vocal%20fatigue%20is%20defined%20by,component%20of%20other%20voice%20disorders.">vocal fatigue</a>. If your voice sounds rough, hoarse or scratchy with unpredictable pitch, you might have what speech pathologists and ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists call <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK565881/">dysphonia</a>.</p> <p>As the Matildas jump in an ice bath, it’s your time to give your voice some TLC.</p> <p>Stretching, yawning, deep breathing and gentle <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534632/">voice exercises</a> like humming and trills work for recovery as well as warming up. An exercise I use with actors after a show is gentle whimpering sounds (like a puppy) to soothe vocal folds. Although it’s not widely researched, actors love it.</p> <p>Again, <a href="https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/taking-care-your-voice">hydration</a> is important for vocal hygiene, so drink up or <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0892199716304805">try a humidifier</a>. Special techniques like <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30408272/">singing through a straw</a> into a half-glass of water can help. Avoid whispering, which can <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16503476/">produce more strain</a> than talking naturally. <a href="https://www.enthealth.org/be_ent_smart/how-to-prevent-hoarseness-dysphonia/">Avoid</a> smoking or smoky spaces, excessive throat clearing and alcohol or caffeine that can dry out the throat and thicken mucus.</p> <p>With all the love behind the Matildas, they’ve got a chance of reaching the World Cup final. Even more reason to look after your voice and maintain match fitness. Go Matildas!<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211499/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-hume-1393423">Amy Hume</a>, Lecturer In Theatre (Voice), Victorian College of the Arts, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-ways-to-protect-your-voice-while-barracking-for-the-matildas-and-how-to-treat-a-hoarse-voice-after-211499">original article</a>.</em></p>

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