Some non pharmaceutical treatments for sore throats, from a pharmacist!

bluesbird

Guys, I know Ken's shared with us lots of stuff on vocal health, but I got a couple of things to share too, that have helped me a great deal along the way.

I'm talking about the throat and NOT the vocal folds.

Sometimes we feel a pain or soreness in the back of the throat and in the region right below the nasal cavity. 

A slight cold, an allergy, a slight infection or too much air conditioner in use, due to the summer heat (the case here in Greece right now!!)

We can either take non steroid anti inflammatories (they wreck the stomach and the blood system), antibiotics (can't overuse them), or use a couple of cool things I'm about to suggest.

1. Gargling with salt water. I know I'm always talking about salt water, but believe me, it's that important!!! One tea spoon of salt in a glass of water and garlge.

2. Gargling with chamomile herb tea. It's one of nature's best antiseptics and anti inflammatories. It doesn't have to be warm or hot. Room temperature's fine. It does the deed, believe me!!!

3. Gargling with propolis tincture. Get a bottle of propolis tincture. You just need 2 drops in a glass of water and you have one of nature's most powerful antiseptics and anti inflammatories!!! Propolis is a substance made from the bees in order to sterilize the bee hive. It's ultra concentrated and ultra strong!!! It's the best thing to use in my opinion. It may cost some, but the bottle will last at least 3-5 years...!!! Now, I know that tinctures are alcoholic solutions and that alcohol is bad for inflammations, but that's not the case here. The alcohol used is just about enough to act as a solvent, nothing more. It can't damage or dehydrate the area in such a tiny portion.

4. Use a propolis spray. Not as concentrated as the tincture, but still mighty powerful and easy to carry around. 

5. Use a spray that contains Krameria Triandra tincture and/or potentilla tincture. Both great anti inflammatories and antiseptics, and most of the times the spray has spearmint oil, adding to the potency and giving great taste!!

I hope all this can help you!! I just needed to share, because I see everyone in here very communicative and very involved. I suffer from sore throats all the time, especially in the summertime, due to the air conditioner use ( I hate it but you can't do without it).

Of course, a good warmup with open throat techique is a big plus to all of this, helps enormously!!! 

Be well and great singing to all!!

George

dominic

Great advice George!

The diaphragmatic support I find is THE most important thing. I used to do a lot of repair work on my voice. Strepsils (very bad, too much sugar), gargling, etc.

I still do it, but now that I use my diaphragm properly and use my breath support I am finding that I am just tired at the end of my gig, not hoarse.

I warm up before every gig. I have a bottle of water on stage, room temp, and a bottle of equal parts ginger tea (actually just raw ginger steeped in boiling water and strained), honey diluted in water, and pineaple juice (best lubricator, water only hydrates)

Hey, where in Greece are you and what's it like?

Dominic

bluesbird

Hey @dominic!!

Thanks!! Glad you liked it!! Strepsils are really useless, though I sell tons of the in the pharmacy!!

Pharyngitis is a condition that hinders singing and hinders speaking too, and when we speak with faryngitis we hurt the voice enormousely...

I'm just giving this advice because it really can help take the inflammation away, without involving taking medication. Helps the speaking voice to be free, specially in the morning, when we're still stiff all around, and we got no time to do our Lah's because we got to go to work, and keeps us from damaging the voice throughout the day, till we get around to do our vocal practice.

We live in Athens, Margarita and myself, and it's really HOT these days. Due to my work I have to have the room air-conditioned, and it's damaging my voice badly. But a few of these remedies, TONS of water, salt water in the nose, and everyday LAH's...and I get through just fine!! 

I'll try the pineapple advice, sounds great!! Ginger is a known remedy for this. But I'm saying it again, the remedies I'm giving out are for the throat, not for the vocal cords!!

Where in the world are you??

dominic

So you are a pharmacist? Salt water in the nose? You squirt it up your nostrils? Interesting.
Yes pineapple juice is a great lubricant for the cords. As you know, no matter what you ingest, it's not going to directly get to the cords. That's why steam is great and why I do that before every gig.
My fiancee nd I live in Cyprus. Also pretty warm here. I'm a full time musician. Love it here!

bluesbird

Yep, I'm a pharmacist!!

Salt water, either in the nose, or garlge....or both, even better!!

Cyprus then?? Native Cypriot or just living there?