Hoarseness: When the voice fails
Tina Turner also has her and actress Jessica Schwarz: a rough, slightly husky voice that sounds pretty sexy. Which is why some women are not so disturbed at first, when the voice is occupied by a cold and sounds like a grater. After all, the typical symptoms of a cold such as the runny nose are usually more unpleasant than hoarseness anyway.
"Anyone who feels miserable, has a cough and has a headache takes the infection much more seriously than if only his voice is scratching," says dr. Michael Deeg from the German Society of Otolaryngology. "Since many have the feeling: is not so bad."A mistake, because hoarseness is quite a serious symptom.
What are the causes of hoarseness?
Viruses and bacteria often attack the vocal cords, larynx and trachea during colds. It's also close: They are connected directly to the mouth and nose via the throat. Viruses and bacteria are therefore the most common cause of hoarseness.
What to do against hoarseness?
When the voice begins to scratch in the event of a cold or you get hoarseness directly, so you should do her good as soon as possible. Above all, this means:
Drink a lot
As a result, the throat is kept moist. But we should on drinks with a high proportion of tannin (coffee, black and green tea) and largely abstain from acidic fruit juices. Water, herbal teas and juice spritzers help against hoarseness.
Inhale
To inhale and gargle one takes best sage oint or salt water. Camomile, on the other hand, must be dosed carefully, otherwise it will dry out the mucous membranes.
potato wrap
For acute sore throat and hoarseness also helps a potato wrap (Cook three to four potatoes, crush and wrap in a towel for 30 minutes around the neck).
Save your voice
The overuse of the voice should be avoided. Whispering, however, is not an alternative, because that puts a strain on the vocal cords. It is better to speak quietly when hoarseness and to avoid environments in which the volume is raised involuntarily.
If the croak voice stays
If you ignore the infected vocal cords, you will be sick longer, even with a simple cold. In the worst case, thickening of the vocal cords and vocal cord nodules may occur - The healing of hoarseness can then last for months. And once the immune system is weakened because of a compromised voice, it is easier to catch a new cold. If the hoarseness persists for more than one to two weeks, a consultation with the ear, nose and throat doctor is advisable.
What does the doctor do with hoarseness?
With a mini mirror, the doctor looks into the throat and looks at the larynx and vocal cords. Are you red? Swollen? Is the mucous membrane thickened? Or is cold sneezing on the vocal cords and makes the voice sound hoarse and fragile? If a virus has triggered the cold, this secretion is bright and clear. In this case, no antibiotics help. However, a bacterial infection, which can be seen on the thicker and discolored mucus, can be cured successfully with antibiotics.
Courses against hoarseness
Those who often have problems with the voice can do something sustainably for a better voice and breathing technique: in courses (according to the method of Ilse Middendorf, z. B. as a day seminar at colleges) or through individual exercises with a speech therapist (prescribes doctor or doctor under certain conditions).
Even better: prevent
The heating heat makes the air in the apartment extremely dry in winter. To be healthy and resistant, however, the mucous membranes in the nose and throat must be moist. At home and in the office, the humidity should therefore not be below 55 percent. This can be checked with a special meter, which is available for about 10 euros in each electronics market.
A healthier, more humid indoor climate can be achieved with large bowls of water, evaporator or wet cloths on the radiators and green plants. And outside? When it gets really cold: Breath to and through the nose to avoid hoarseness. Then the mucous membranes dry out less and the icy air is warmed up before it hits our sensitive vocal folds. These vocal folds form our sounds when breathing and are therefore essential for speech.
Help, laryngitis (laryngitis)!
The larynx is significantly involved in the formation of sounds. In laryngitis (which may also be chronic), the mucous membrane of the larynx is inflamed, which can lead to coughing, sore throat and hoarseness. It usually develops through virus-induced inflammation of the respiratory tract, but there are also more specific causes, such as smoking or reflux-related laryngitis, in which the acidic gastric contents flow back into the esophagus and throat. The doctor can detect the laryngitis as part of a laryngoscopy (laryngoscopy). A laryngitis usually heals after a few days on its own.
Is your nose blocked, are you suffering from chills, are you annoyed by a dry cough or a strong cough? Home remedies for colds, home remedies for cough and home remedies for sore throats can help gently!
Videotipp: Five effective home remedies and natural remedies for sore throats
