Did you ever realize that you’re unable to speak properly or experience weak creaky voice? Do you have a hoarse voice or a barking cough? Well, this can happen once in almost everyone’s life.
Then you might have been suffering from laryngitis. Laryngitis is an inflammation of larynx or vocal cords (voice box). It is an uncomfortable situation that happens generally when you overstrain your voice box, either due to excessive shouting or cold or flu caused by viral infections.
It causes temporary loss of the voice by causing irritation to the vocal cords. When we overuse the vocal cords, then they are affected and results in swelling and inflammation. Let’s have a look at the laryngitis causes and its symptoms.
Causes of Laryngitis:
- Overuse of voice box (over talking or singing or shouting)
- GERD or Acid reflux
- Smoking or inhaling tobacco
- Allergies
- Excessive intake of alcohol and its beverages
- Exposure to harmful chemicals, irritants, and toxins
- Usage of inhaled steroid medicines
- Viral infections or illness
- Environmental air pollution
- Chronic sinusitis
- Bacterial infections (diphtheria)
Symptoms of Laryngitis:
- Complete loss of voice (till recovered)
- Hoarse voice
- Coughing (prolonged and dry cough)
- Inflamed and swollen vocal cords
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Fever
- Sore or dry throat
- Tickling and scratchiness in the throat
- Postnasal discharge
- Tough breathing
- Constant urge to clear the throat
However acute laryngitis can usually last for 2 weeks and heals without any serious consequences but chronic symptoms will last longer. Consult your doctor to perform a physical exam by comprises touching the neck for big lumps or sensitive areas.
Conventional treatments include antibiotics (to improve certain laryngitis symptoms), proton pump inhibitors (PPI, for treating GERD or its related chronic laryngitis) or corticosteroids (steroid hormones) to reduce the swelling and inflammation of vocal cord but they contain certain side effects on overall health.
You can treat this laryngitis at home naturally by following some simple natural remedies (soothing and anti-inflammatory herbs) and healthy diet to reduce the swelling and get your voice back to form.
Home Remedies to Get Rid of Laryngitis:
Here are some best ways that widely used to cure laryngitis effectively. These natural home remedies will help to treat laryngitis without any side effects and at a low cost.
Let’s get started…
Remedy – 1: (Gargle)
Gargle is a simple but effective remedy for treating all throat problems including laryngitis. The warm water gargle will work wonder in repairing the lost voice and regain it properly. But make sure that water should touch the bottom of the larynx why because this is where the healing action takes place.
Both salt and warm water will help to kill bacteria and promotes healing of inflamed vocal cords and sore throat. Here are few ways of using natural ingredient based gargles.
- Take 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1 glass of warm water and stir well till the salt dissolves completely. Use this salt water to gargle for a couple of minutes. Repeat this action for thrice daily to clear the germs present in your throat and causing this discomfort.
- Take equal quantities of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (clears bacterial or viral infections) and water in a cup. Stir well and use it to gargle for about 5 – 6 times daily to get quick relief from the soreness and other symptoms of laryngitis.
- Usage of certain herbs like slippery elm, plantain, licorice, chamomile, red sage, yarrow, etc. to gargle for few seconds will help to clear this throat irritation and inflammation. Simply mix 2 teaspoons of any herb in 1 cup of boiling water and steep for 10 minutes. Strain it and use it to gargle for every 3 – 4 hours.
- Alternatively, using mouthwash will give instant relief to your swollen and irritated throat why because they kill the germs causing this infection. Use mouthwash (especially made of elderflower) and swish it properly.
- Hydrogen peroxide is antiseptic that cures laryngitis by destroying the germs and virus in the mouth. Mix hydrogen peroxide (3%) in some warm water. stir and use it to gargle your mouth (or) simply inhale its steam to clear your vocal cord.
Note: Make sure to spit out the mix after gargling thoroughly and rinse your mouth to get rid of the microbes and to get quick relief from laryngitis.
Remedy – 2: (Garlic)
Garlic exhibits antimicrobial or anti-inflammatory properties that help to clear the bacterial or microbial action in your throat and relieves your pain, swelling, and inflammation of the vocal cords.
It acts as a natural expectorant that clears upper respiratory infections. You can simply consume garlic in your diet or add to your teas or cook it in foods.
- Take several garlic cloves and chop them properly.
- Pour these garlic cloves in a jar and cover them with equal quantities of unfiltered apple cider vinegar and distilled water.
- Shake it well to mix these contents thoroughly.
- Cover and let it sit for about 4 – 5 hours and finally, add some raw honey to it.
- Stir well and store this garlic syrup in the refrigerator.
- Consume 1 – 3 teaspoons of garlic syrup for every 6 – 8 hours until you get rid of the problem.
Note:
- Or simply chew a raw garlic clove slowly and swallow it regularly until you get relief from laryngitis.
- Also, add this garlic to your stew, salad, soup or sauce (or) combine garlic clove with raw honey and consume it.
Remedy – 3: (Ginger)
The gingerol and shagoals present in ginger will exhibit antimicrobial, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties that help to trigger the healing process of the infected larynx. Usage of fresh ginger (a natural pain reliever) will soothe the inflamed mucous membranes of the larynx.
It soothes the inflamed mucous membranes of the larynx and also helps to warm up the body to break down the harmful toxins and cleanse your lymphatic system to reduce the chance of getting respiratory infections.
Here are some ways of using ginger for treating laryngitis.
- Wash a fresh root of ginger and start to chew it thoroughly for few minutes. This process will make the ginger juices stay in the throat for few minutes before swallowing to heal the infected larynx. Continue this chewing for once or twice daily to get rid of a sore throat and other laryngitis symptoms.
- Prepare a fresh infusion by mixing ginger, cloves, and mint for few minutes and drink it to treat laryngitis. Also, pour some ginger powder in a soothing soup and have it.
- Take some thinly sliced fresh ginger root in a pan filled with 1 glass of water. Boil it for about 10 minutes and strain it. Let it cool for few minutes to reach room temperature. Add some fresh lemon juice and raw honey to sweeten it. Drink this ginger tea for several times daily.
- Simply try sucking some candied gingers throughout the day or try some ginger snaps, cookies, tincture, ale, etc. to get relief from the problem.
Remedy – 4: (Apple Cider Vinegar)
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) exhibits antimicrobial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that not only clears the germs causing irritation and infection but also soothes the swollen or inflamed vocal cords. It balances the pH in the stomach to digest food without causing GERD
Here are few ways of using ACV for treating your inflamed voice box.
- Add 2 tablespoons of organic unpasteurized ACV and 1 tablespoon of honey in 1/2 cup of water. Stir well and add a little of cayenne pepper. Mix and consume it for twice daily until you get rid of the problem.
- Simply prepare a gargle solution by mixing 1 tablespoon of raw ACV in 1 glass of warm water. Stir well and use it to gargle for several times daily till you soothe your inflamed voice box.
Remedy – 5: (Raw Honey)
Raw honey is an ancient Ayurvedic medicine that used to treat various skin and health problems, including laryngitis. It exhibits antimicrobial, antiseptic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help to cure laryngitis naturally.
It moisturizes the dry throat and relieves you from the seasonal allergies, which causes laryngitis. It soothes the irritation and gives relief from laryngitis symptoms like hoarseness, dry throat, coughing, etc.
- Take some raw organic honey and add it to 1 glass of warm water.
- Stir well and consume it throughout the day.
- Or you can mix honey in any herbal teas, smoothies, fruit juices as a natural sweetener to soothe your throat.
- Consume honey with other natural ingredients like ginger, garlic, aloe vera juice, lemon juice, turmeric milk, cinnamon powder, etc.
Remedy – 6: (Onion Syrup)
Onions (especially red onions) will exhibit expectorant properties that help to clear the upper respiratory tract problems. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help to cure the inflammation and swelling of the larynx.
- Take 3 – 4 onions and cut them into slices.
- Boil them in a pan filled with water for few minutes till the water becomes thick like syrup.
- Turn off the heat and mix few tablespoons of this syrup in 1 cup of lukewarm water.
- Finally, drink it by adding few drops of fresh lemon juice and raw honey to it.
- Continue the intake of this onion syrup regularly until you get cleared the swelling or inflammation of your voice box.
Other Effective Remedies:
- A compress is a form of hydrotherapy that soothes the irritated and inflamed vocal cords. Simply place a warm washcloth on the neck. Then dip a long cotton cloth in cold water and wrung it out to wrap around the neck. Now wrap a woolen scarf over this cotton cloth and secure it with a safety pin. Leave it for 30 minutes or overnight and repeat it regularly.
- Always use a humidifier to keep the air moist in your room and thereby provokes the infection and soothes your irritated throat.
- Stay hydrated by drinking water and other healthy fluids like herbal teas, fresh fruit or vegetable juices(orange, apple, cranberry, pineapple, grapes, chokecherry, carrots with radish and ginger), raw honey, lemon water, smoothies, etc. to moist your dry throat and prevent the growth of microbes.
- Steam helps a lot in moisturizing your dry throat and alleviates your condition. So, add 2 teaspoons of essential oil (lavender, sage, thyme or benzoin) in a pot filled with hot water. Steep and inhale the steam through your mouth by covering the head till the bowl without escape of steam to cure laryngitis.
Tips and Precautions:
- Immediately seek medical attention if you’re suffering from chronic laryngitis with trouble breathing or high fever or trouble swallowing or coughing up blood or swollen lymph nodes for proper diagnose and treatment to get rid of the problem.
- Always make sure to give a break to your vocal cords to help them recover properly and also resting will clear the infection and reduces the friction by lessening the stress and strain on the throat.
- Avoid consuming heavy foods that include fried, oily, processed foods why because it may result in acid reflux (LES) and also consume less food frequently (6 small meals instead of 3 big meals).
- Don’t sleep on a full stomach, you should wait for at least 2 – 3 hours after consuming food and also, use a pillow to raise your head up to 6 inches above your stomach level to prevent acid reflux.
- Consuming lozenges prepared from licorice and drink slippery elm tea, marshmallow juice or wheatgrass juice.
- Speak less and keep yourself free from the spread of viral infections like cleaning your hands frequently.
- Consume a healthy diet that contains a rich source of vitamins (A, C & E) to keep the mucous membranes healthy. Also, consume foods which are easy to swallow rather than hard foods.
- Perform some physical exercises, yoga, and meditation to get rid of laryngitis caused due to stress, anxiety.
- Breathe deeply (deep breathing exercises) to make your respiratory system strong and healthy and thereby to avoid these health problems.
- Quit smoking and the usage of tobacco products and also lessen or stop drinking alcohol which makes you dehydrated and prevents laryngitis.
- Keep yourself away from the dusty and smoky areas, as they worsen your problem. Also, it’s best to say no to decongestants, ice creams, and chocolates for a faster relief.
Final Word:
Don’t experiment yourself without knowing the problem and its root cause clearly. Consult your doctor if you’re symptom persists more than 2 – 3 days for proper diagnose and treatment.
Hope you’ll try these natural remedies to get rid of laryngitis. Do you know any other successful remedies for laryngitis? Then share your experience with us in the below comments box.
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