The Mayo Clinic Diet Book, learn more

Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Prevention

By Mayo Clinic staff

To prevent dryness or irritation to your vocal cords:

  • Don't smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke. Smoke dries your throat and irritates your vocal cords.
  • Limit alcohol and caffeine. These cause you to lose total body water.
  • Drink plenty of water. Fluids help keep the mucus in your throat thin and easy to clear.
  • Avoid clearing your throat. This does more harm than good, because it causes an abnormal vibration of your vocal cords and can increase swelling. Clearing your throat also causes your throat to secrete more mucus and feel more irritated, making you want to clear your throat again.
  • Avoid upper respiratory infections. Wash your hands often, and avoid contact with people who have upper respiratory infections such as colds.
References
  1. Taking care of your voice. National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/pages/takingcare.aspx. Accessed March 8, 2012.
  2. McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2012. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2356. Accessed March 8, 2012.
  3. Morton DA, et al. The Big Picture: Gross Anatomy. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=8667745. Accessed March 8, 2012.
  4. Fact sheet: Common problems that can affect your voice. American Academy of Otalaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/commonvoiceproblems.cfm. Accessed March 8, 2012.
  5. Fact sheet: The voice and aging. American Academy of Otalaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/Voice-and-Aging.cfm. Accessed March 8, 2012.
  6. Wang AJ, et al. Comparison of patients of chronic laryngitis with and without troublesome reflux symptoms. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2012;27:579.
  7. Longo DL, et al. Harrison's Online. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=9097038. Accessed March 8, 2012.
DS00366 June 28, 2012

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print
  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger