Losing Your Voice the Day Before (or at) a Tournament?

[CLT787]

It's a forensicator's worst nightmare...losing one's voice the day before a big tournament...or even AT the tourney! What tricks and tips have you picked up during your time to preserve a voice or keep it from getting even more damaged?

--Do NOT drink milk
--Avoid Cough Drops in favor of regular hard candy

[Crazy50128]

Stick to the basics:
Tea with honey
Water
Rest your voice

[3rdround]

Cough Drops are okay, but only if you are losing your voice due to sickness (with coughing as a symptom). Anything else, don't use cough drops. Tea with honey and/or lemon works great, so does resting your voice. Also, gargle with salt water the night before.

[tgjdlc]

clear up nasal passages so that your breathing doesn't fully rely on your tonsils/back of throat when you breathe through your mouth.

[JJCrameraahs]

Nonono... The ultimate trick is witch's brew:

Hot water.
Liberal amounts of lemon juice.
Not as liberal amounts of honey.
A spritz of vinegar.
Green-tea bag. (optional)

Combine all ingredients above. (optional: Allow the green-tea bag to steep.) Drink. The taste is intensely bad, but you will be able to survive any round. It works like magic, hence the title "witch's brew". I drink it before every round when I'm under the weather or my throat is out of commission.

[JjulianSr]

Yes, I'm necro-ing an old post - but it has current relevance as a bunch of the students on my team had this happen over the past few weeks.

I recommend hot apple cider, clear if you can get it, mulled/spiced as lightly as possible if not. Why cider and not the tea/honey/other ideas mentioned?

1) Honey can trigger allergic reactions... beware of using honey - especially if you're traveling. Honey is made from concentrated nectar from plants - usually local plants - and can contain pollen and other antibodies native to the local area. If you're from an area with different plants, local honey could be dangerous as it may expose you to concentrations of pollen that your body isn't used to. Additionally, it can coat the throat - the sugar crystals in the honey will irritate as badly as the mucus will. It feels good for the moment, but tears you up later.
2) Tea: a) not everyone likes it, so this is an alternative. b) Tea can be caffeinated - which gives you a little pep, then you crash. Sure, your throat feels better, but now your energy is down. If you use tea, use decaffeinated or non-caffeinated herbal tea.

A sterile over-the-counter saline spray can be used to clear your sinuses and clear up post-nasal drip,as Juan suggests, which could speed up the healing process. Though it can also make it worse in the short term by increasing the irritation. NOTE: Do NOT use tap/shower water to rinse your nose. There are parasitic amoeba that will eat your brain. Don't believe me? http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/20/news/la-heb-neti-pot-amoeba-20111220

The goal to rapidly healing from laryngitis is to break up the mucus that is causing the irritation - the faster you flush it, the faster you'll heal and get back to normal. Apple Cider has a good amount of acid to do that, while not coating the throat and giving you that thickening feeling you'll get from other remedies. FYI - clear soup broth does the same thing, if you don't want the sugars (or are diabetic).

The one thing to avoid: Nothing creamy. No whipped cream, no creamer (even non-dairy), and no creamy soups. This will make things worse. Also, drink lots of water... as in a LOT more water than you usually do. Keeping hydrated thins out the secretions and helps you heal faster. Additionally, energy drinks = bad... these dehydrate you - the antithesis of water.

If I think of any more advice, I'll try to update the post. In the meantime, "Stay healthy, my friends!"

Coach J

[SpeechHBIC]

I woke up this morning with a sorethroat and am doing all the things you guys have listed as helpful so I can have a voice for this weekend! Thank you for all the advice!

[JjulianSr]

I woke up this morning with a sorethroat and am doing all the things you guys have listed as helpful so I can have a voice for this weekend! Thank you for all the advice!

And did any of these things work for you?

[LeftWing]

Another important thing is to not talk very much the day before the tournament. If you believe you are getting a cold during the week take some Zinc to shorten the duration! Always have a bottle of water on tournament day!