I used to get a sore throat about once a month. I’ve never sung on a CD without a sore throat, in fact. But since I changed my diet and started warming-up my voice every day, even on days when I’m not performing, I haven’t had one. Until yesterday.
I woke up with razor blades in my neck. With so much strep going around the neighborhood lately I thought I’d better get that checked out before infecting the Midwest.
It’s not strep but it’s some kind of viral throat and respiratory thing. There’s no pill for this; but there is a hand-out, apparently.
It’s a one page guide to quick healing from a sore throat that Vanderbilt created. It says I shouldn’t smoke. I should drink lots of fluids. Get rest. Take Tylenol or a pain reliever of my choice.
“You guys don’t mention gargling salt water. Does that not work on this kind of sore throat?” I asked.
“No, that’s great for killing an infection in your throat tissues but no one likes to do that,” he said.
So it works but it doesn’t make it on the sheet of stuff that works because “no one likes to do that.” (So many parallels could be made here.)
Anyway, here’s my list of Stuff You May Not Like Doing But I Swear Works To Cure A Sore Throat:
Drink hot Throat Coat Tea, made by Traditional Medicinals. It doesn’t have the best taste, has a snotty consistency, is made out of tree bark, but can be sweetened up with a little lot of honey. Get this at a health food or whole food store.
Use Cepacol losanges. They taste bad but they numb everything they touch far better than any other product I’ve used. Second best: Fisherman’s friend, another yuck-tasting but good-working losange.
Vocal rest. Don’t talk, hum, sing and especially don’t whisper (particularly bad for the throat). Write stuff down. Use hand signals, smoke signals. But do not use your voice.
Gargle a cup of salt water every two hours. Don’t go easy on the salt or the heat either. I use as much sea salt and heat as I can stand.
Drink water. No caffeine (It dries out your throat). No dairy (It creates mucus that drains down your throat causing irritation).
Sleep.
If you HAVE to sing or speak – like it’s a matter of life and death – you can ask your doctor for Cortisone. One shot (it also comes in pill form) will kick the inflammation in your throat within twenty-four hours, but it’s dangerous. Cortisone zaps the immune system, opening you up to worse infections than what’s in your throat right now. It has also been shown to deplete cartilage if used often and can mess with mommy parts. (I’m no doctor so talk to yours about the risks before taking Cortisone, obviously.)
Do this stuff and I’m betting you’ll be pain free fast – ready to soft rock on.
Shaun Groves
West says:
thanks…my wife will appreciate these tips.
Paul J. says:
If you have it handy, a big heaping tablespoon of brandy does the trick also.
And I’m sure you know that using Cepacol (lozenge or spray) is not the best choice…it numbs you so much that you can’t tell you’re doing damage. People have gotten vocal nodes that way.
Shaun Groves says:
Cepacol WITH vocal rest.
Aims says:
That’s just like the gross stuff you can do to get a sinus infection over with quicker. Que-tips to drain the nose. Or to get a stopped up nose unstopped blow your nose underwater. Not that hard really just fill up the bathroom sink dunk your head and start blowing air out your nose. You wouldn’t believe how much snot is up there!
PS/by the way Shaun, you kinda gotta that scary Sylar look in that picture…creepy.
Cali Amy says:
Wow Aims, you’re right he does look a bit like Sylar in that picture….
Thanks for the tips! It’s weird they won’t put stuff people don’t like doing on a sheet of tips. I mean, it’s not like you HAVE to everything on the sheet. Weird to me.
anon4him says:
I think of those that I have tried, the one that works best for me is to just not talk. If I try talking, I usually end up losing my voice completely.
Cruz-Control says:
I prefer Luden’s Wild Cherry “cough drops”. They do nothing for the throat, but they sure are tasty.
Just Matt says:
What a nice Uvula you have. Thanks for sharing. Good luck with the throat. Soft Rock On!
Nancy Tyler says:
I’ve had laryngitis for two weeks now. Worst I have ever had in my life. It didn’t start turning around until this weekend when I started gargling with hydrogen peroxide. I still only have about 60% of my voice back, it hurts to talk and I think my larynx is now a lovely shade of blonde.
RevJeff says:
Yep, I swear by the Hydrogen-peroxide gargle… DO NOT SWALLOW! And you’ll just have to live with the repulsive after-taste. Unless you use a listerine chaser… Burns like the dickens!
Alesha says:
This also works:
1 mug of HOT water
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Also if you HAVE to record on a day when your throat is bad, eat nothing but potato chips and drink the above.
It works.
Alesha
Sarah Chia says:
I also highly recommend rubbing lemon essential oil on your neck. It soaks in and eliminates soreness in a matter of minutes.
It’s also good to diffuse the oil all winter to keep you healthy.
alan says:
Thanks Shaun, I was actually going to ask you something along these lines. I get that congestion in my head and chest once every month or so, and was curious what you do if you have to sing with that going on. Do you still just do one of the things you listed above?
Shaun Groves says:
I do ALL of the things listed above and pray pray pray…no one notices how badly I sing.
It’s worked so far.
jimmy says:
Smoke signals? I thought you weren’t supposed to smoke.
You look like Jay Bakker in that picture.
I also use Halls fruit breezers cough drops. They use pectin instead of menthol so it won’t dry you out. There’s also a throat spray called “singer’s saving grace” that works really good. Cool mint is the least offensive as far as taste, and don’t get the alcohol free version. It aint cheap though. It’s about $13.00 for 1 oz. The stuff works!
What kind of dietary changes have you made? I lose my voice all the time. I lead worship at least 3 times a weekend and I always end up croaking afterwards.
Shaun Groves says:
Click the “changed my diet” link in the post.
jimmy says:
Oh, duh. That breakfast “smoothie” sounds delish.
Ben Workman says:
Perfect- been fighting a throat infection for about 3 weeks actually. We’ll see what the local Walgreens has on sale =) A little off topic- but does Compassion offer any trips aside from the one the group of bloggers is taking?
Ben
travis Cottrell says:
I just discovered some stuff that is helping me a ton. It’s called Neil-Med. It’s a strong mixture you spray up one nostril and it comes out the other. 8 oz. Sounds fun, I know. But it is helping me a ton with drainage that has been fatiguing my voice. You can get it at Walgreens.
Ginger says:
This is such a timely post! I am in the midst of my 5th sinus infection in 6 months!!!!
Amy Cassidy says:
Yikes!
Now that I see internal medicine patients on my own at St. Thomas, I’ve learned a lot about ENT infections. Here are some basic tips/replies to some of the above comments.
– Never gargle with hydrogen peroxide. You are killing the good germs along with the bad and only setting yourself up for more throat AND sinus infections. If you swallow even a little, you will vomit a LOT and damage your throat even further.
– Essential oils on the skin of the throat do not “absorb” in and heal. The vapors of the oil may be inhaled and feel soothing for a short period of time, but not for long.
– As SOON as you feel that tingle in the throat and that feeling of impending doom, take an Airborne dissolving tab. The REALLY do work. Those Dr’s at Vandy that wrote the pamphlet take Airborne when they start to feel sick.
– Everything else sounds great, the gargle, the lozenge, and ALWAYS increase your antioxidants! Multivitamins, orange juice, green tea.
I hope everyone gets to feeling better!!
CasCad says:
Thanks man!=)
Drug Rehab says:
Well I hope that throat of yours can keep in good shape as long as possible and thanks for the good piece of advice. It is surely a good remedy for many people.
Dr Yazdanfar says:
Never have a Cortisone shot without talking to a doctor first. This substance can do more damage than good if not administered correctly.
greg burey says:
I always use orange juice mixed with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to cure sore throat.
Works magnificently!