How to Recover Your Voice After Losing It

Last Updated: August 8, 2021 References Approved

Whether you were talking too much, singing too much, screaming at a concert or amusement park, or dealing with illness, putting too much strain on your voice can cause you to lose it. Thankfully, you should be able to regain it soon enough with some basic home care. To recover your voice after losing it, comfort your throat with water, teas, and other soothing remedies, and rest your voice as much as possible by speaking as little as you can, breathing through your nose, and avoiding irritants. If your voice doesn't return within several days of home care, it might be best to consult a doctor for professional advice and treatment.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Comforting Your Throat

1
Drink plenty of water. The best thing to do for your achy vocal chords is to drink water. Nothing on the entire Earth is better for you than good ol' H2O. Keep it at room temperature to avoid shocking your throat with the freezing or burning liquid.^{[1]
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- You shouldn't be chugging the stuff like it's your job. Your body is very good at telling you when you're thirsty, so do not ignore it. Drink regularly, but sensibly. Not only will it help restore your voice, but it's good for your body, your digestive system, your skin, your weight, your energy levels, and just about everything in between.
2
Gargle salt water. Four times a day, heat up a glass of water in the microwave (until it's very warm, but not hot) and dissolve a tablespoon of salt in it. Gargle the entire thing. This helps deal with the mucus in your throat.
- Don't worry about the taste -- you aren't swallowing it. In fact, if your throat is a bit sore, you'll probably find it comforting.
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3
Consider drinking teas with honey and lemon. There are two sides to the story here: Some people believe that tea (especially chamomile with honey and lemon) is a great vocal soother. It's been used for decades in this manner. However, know that acid is bad for your epithelial tissue (the stuff that makes up your vocal folds) and both tea and lemon are acidic. What's your verdict?^{[2]
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- There's nothing wrong with honey, however. Another common (but less common) method is a spoonful of honey straight. What a great excuse to get your honey on! Next up they'll be saying spoonfuls of Nutella.
4
Hang your head over steam for five minutes twice a day. Steam can increase the moisture in your throat. It's the same reason you see divas wearing scarves when they're sick -- it's for the idea that heat is good for the throat.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Amy Chapman, MA
Voice & Speech Coach
Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.}
- Boiling water is an easy way to create steam. Put a towel over your head and the pot with hot water so you get a good amount of steam. Try adding some essential oils if you want. You could hang around the humidifier, too. Or, turn the shower on hot, plug the drain, turn off the fan and breathe deep. (Please use water responsibly, especially when in a drought).
5
Use lozenges. Many singers are on the slippery elm bandwagon (sounds kind of funny if you've never heard of it), but the official scientific verdict is still out. Slippery elm lozenges have great reviews, but there's no science to back up why they work. It could be a placebo effect.^{[4]
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- Even if there's no math behind it, at the very least they're not harmful. Lozenges in general will offer some form of temporary relief.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Resting Your Throat

1
Give your hoarse voice a break. The best thing you can do is to not talk at all for a couple of days. Vocal rest is necessary for your epithelial tissue to repair. Silence, after all, is golden.^{[5]
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- If you have to communicate with someone, pass notes instead of whispering. Whispering can cause your vocal cords to bang together as strongly as if you were shouting. Passing notes can also be fun, if you draw pictures or make the receiver decode the message!
- If you have a job which requires you to raise your voice to be heard, use mechanical means to make yourself louder.
- Chew gum or suck on lozenges so that you will have no choice but to keep your mouth closed. It will also improve production of saliva.
2
Breathe through your nose. Hopefully you figured this out when you were told not to talk and keep your mouth closed. How else would you breathe, but through your nose? Breathing through your mouth makes it dry, so hopefully you don't have a stuffy nose and can still breath somehow!
3
Don't take aspirin under any circumstances. If one of the reasons you might have lost your voice because you yelled too loudly, you probably ruptured a capillary. Aspirin can reduce clotting and cause excess bleeding which can impede the healing process.
- There are other ways to relieve pain if your throat is scratchy. We'll get to those in the next section.
4
Don't smoke. Big duh, right? In case you've been living under a rock, smoking is a cause of throat dryness, in addition to many other negative health consequences.^{[6]
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- Smoking could be the cause of your voice changing. After all, your lungs are using smoke to produce sound. What do you expect? Quit smoking and you may see an immediate improvement.
5
Avoid acidic foods. Foods like tomatoes, chocolate, and citrus fruits are highly acidic; that acid tears away at the tissue in your vocal folds. To be most comfortable with your hurt throat, it's best to avoid this as much as possible.^{[7]
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- Spicy foods aren't super good for your voice, either. Anything that causes a reaction should be avoided. (That's why water is so ridiculously good for you -- it's au natural.)

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Knowing When to See a Doctor

1
See a doctor if your voice doesn't come back within 2 or 3 days. If you rocked out at a concert a little too hard last night, it's perfectly normal to lose your voice the next day. But if you randomly lose your voice with no other symptoms, it's probably the sign of a bigger problem. Consult your doctor for further guidance.
2
Treat other issues. If you're battling a fierce cold, it doesn't make sense to tackle your voice -- hit your immune system first and your voice will fall into place. If you're experiencing other symptoms, address those first. It may solve your problem.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Amy Chapman, MA
Voice & Speech Coach
Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.}
3
Take it slow. Even if your voice is getting better, keep up your voice-healthy habits. Think of it as completing a course of antibiotics; even if you feel good after the first few days, you still have to take the rest. Keeping it up will ensure you reach 100% and stay there.
- It's commonly believed that dairy will increase mucus production, but there's no scientific evidence to support this.^{[9]
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  Research source} Nevertheless, it is possible that milk may coat your throat in a way that causes you to feel as though it's thickened the phlegm already there.^{[10]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source} You may opt to stay away from dairy during recovery, but if it isn't contributing to feelings of increased irritation, it isn't necessary.

Expert Q&A

Question

How long does it take for vocal cords to recover?

Amy Chapman, MA
Voice & Speech Coach
Amy Chapman MA, CCC-SLP is a vocal therapist and singing voice specialist. Amy is a licensed and board certified speech & language pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping professionals improve and optimize their voice. Amy has lectured on voice optimization, speech, vocal health, and voice rehabilitation at universities across California, including UCLA, USC, Chapman University, Cal Poly Pomona, CSUF, CSULA. Amy is trained in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT, and is a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association.

Amy Chapman, MA

Voice & Speech Coach

Expert Answer

It really depends on how much damage was done. If there are broken blood vessels or something, it can take a lot longer than if your voice is just a little worn out after a singing session.
Question

Who should I see to get my vocal cords repaired?

Amy Chapman, MA
Voice & Speech Coach
Amy Chapman MA, CCC-SLP is a vocal therapist and singing voice specialist. Amy is a licensed and board certified speech & language pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping professionals improve and optimize their voice. Amy has lectured on voice optimization, speech, vocal health, and voice rehabilitation at universities across California, including UCLA, USC, Chapman University, Cal Poly Pomona, CSUF, CSULA. Amy is trained in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT, and is a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association.

Amy Chapman, MA

Voice & Speech Coach

Expert Answer

A general ENT might work, but I would recommend going to a laryngologist. You may need to get a rigid stroboscopy procedure done, where the doctor uses a camera to take a look at your vocal cords. Once they know what the problem is, they'll be able to give you recommendations on how you can repair your vocal cords.
Question

How can I clear my voice up?

Amy Chapman, MA
Voice & Speech Coach
Amy Chapman MA, CCC-SLP is a vocal therapist and singing voice specialist. Amy is a licensed and board certified speech & language pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping professionals improve and optimize their voice. Amy has lectured on voice optimization, speech, vocal health, and voice rehabilitation at universities across California, including UCLA, USC, Chapman University, Cal Poly Pomona, CSUF, CSULA. Amy is trained in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT, and is a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association.

Amy Chapman, MA

Voice & Speech Coach

Expert Answer

Well, if your voice is a little raspy, you may just need to rest your vocal cords. You could try exposing your throat to steam, or drink something warm. If it has something to do with your vocal technique, you may not be using a good breath flow to sing or speak.

Warnings

When handling boiling water be very careful as you can be severely burned.

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Ask parents or guardians to look after you in case if you need to go see the doctors.

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While apple cider vinegar is a common home remedy, there's no scientific evidence to back this claim. In fact, cider vinegar can actually irritate your throat.^{[11]
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