0764 – How Meds Can Hurt Not Help Your Voice

 2023.02.03 – 0764 – How Meds Can Hurt Not Help Your Voice Medications – Again, sticky-sweet, tongue colour-changing over-the-counter lozenges do not touch your vocal cords. Although they might have a placebo effect (you feel as though they are helping, and so your confidence returns), the ones with anaesthetic or numbing properties may actually be causing further damage, giving you a false sense that everything’s OK. Instead, focus on the root cause of your vocal fatigue by practising with a vocal routine. Other medications can affect your voice too:·        Inhalers and steroid sprays·        Antihistamines (such as hay fever remedies) can also dehydrate·        Antibiotics·        Antidepressants ·        Oral contraceptives ·        The menthol in some cold remedies may be an irritant ·        Decongestant meds for nose and throat problems often work by drying out the local tissues. That’s obviously not good news. If you have a cold and a subsequently blocked nose, you may have a dried-out nose caused by your meds and a dried-out mouth caused by having to use it for breathing. Therefore, it’s essential that you take plenty of fluids. Alternative medication may include:·        water, gargling and sleep are free·        steam – is cheap·        mindfulness – takes just minutes·        warm pineapple juice – some find that this can help soothe a throat Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.