11 home remedies for laryngitis

Maybe you're fighting a cold or the flu. Or perhaps you sung your heart out at a concert or cheered too loudly at a ballgame. Now you're paying the price with laryngitis, an inflammation of your voice box (larynx) that causes your voice to become scratchy or hoarse or maybe even disappear completely.

Laryngitis can be short-term or chronic, reports WebMD. Most often, it comes on quickly and lasts no more than a couple of weeks. Temporary laryngitis can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection or vocal strain, says the Mayo Clinic. Long-lasting laryngitis may be due to acid reflux (also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD), irritants such as smoke or allergens, chronic sinusitis, alcohol use or smoking.

In the grand scheme of medical ailments, laryngitis isn't usually a big one; it's typically more irritating than serious. But when your voice dives a couple octaves or it's cracking like the voice of a teenager going through puberty, it's no fun. Here are some laryngitis home remedies you can try to get your voice box back to normal. Remember, if symptoms last for more than two weeks, see your doctor.
Rest your voice

If the cause of your laryngitis is too much yelling, talking or singing, give your vocal cords a break. Try not to talk. When you do, speak softly, but don't whisper. Whispering puts more of a strain on your voice than talking does.

Stay hydrated

Drink plenty of fluids, especially warm ones like soups and teas, but skip alcohol and caffeine, which will dehydrate you.

Keep your throat moist

Suck on lozenges or sugar-free hard candy, or try chewing gum. The goal is to keep your throat from feeling even scratchier.

Breathe moisture

Inhale the steam from a hot shower or fill a bowl of hot water and put your head over the vapors. Try a warm or cold air humidifier or vaporizer to add moisture to the air in your home.

Try not to clear your throat

When your voice sounds funny and you feel tickling or scratching in your throat, it's natural to want to try to cough and clear it out. But that won't help and it might make things worse. If you have a cough with your laryngitis, try an over-the-counter cough medicine instead.

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