Take Care of Your Throat All Year Round
Even though we think it’s just a winter problem, our throats can also suffer from the dryness caused by air conditioners or from drinking very cold drinks. Today, we’d like to give you some recommendations to take care of your throat all year round.
Recommendations for daily throat care
In winter, it’s normal to worry about our throats more because of the viruses and sicknesses in our surroundings.
But, what happens when it gets hot? Do you forget about something so important, like the instrument that allows us to communicate?
We should protect our throats in every season by adopting the following habits:
1. Following a healthy diet
You might not believe it, but everything that you eat influences your throat. If your diet isn’t healthy, it’ll be easier for you to get sick.
Opt for fresh foods – even in the winter – and don’t forget that orange juice is loaded with vitamin C (which will reinforce your immune system). Choose seasonal fruits for dessert.
Want to know more? Read: 5 Alternative Ways to Use Orange Peels
2. Hydrate and re-hydrate
To enjoy a healthy throat, it needs to be moist.
We recommend the famous “6-8 glasses of water a day” rule to hydrate your vocal cords. Doing so will prevent the area from overheating and drying out, which causes soreness, pain and even hoarseness. You should follow that rule all year long, not just in the summer.
At the same time, we recommend that you avoid drinks that are too cold. In addition, when it’s very hot, reduce your coffee and alcohol consumption.
Finally, try swapping dairy milk (which increases mucus) with vegetal milks.
3. Rest
If you haven’t slept enough, you might very well end up with throat issues the next day. Your voice might sound “raspy” and a little muted.
Sleeping repairs and rests our entire body, even the throat. Thus, if you’ve worked your vocal cords too much, the best thing you can do for them is to sleep a little more than you normally do.
4. Bundle up
You might think that this recommendation is only for the colder months, but it’s not the case.
In summer, people tend to go a little over board with the air conditioning. Many offices and buildings are so cold, that we need to use another layer. Cold air can dry out your throat, which is why we recommend that you have a scarf on hand, or any other kind of accessory for your neck, in all seasons.
And, of course, don’t leave your house without a scarf during the winter!
5. Eat honey
Honey has plenty of general health benefits for us, especially for our throats. It’s a powerful antibacterial and anti fungal that can stop any virus, bacteria or microorganism that tries to enter your body.
Propolis in useful for fighting infections, reducing the inflammation in vocal cords and reducing dryness. You can have a teaspoon every day on an empty stomach.
If you opt for honey, use it to sweeten your tea.
6. Prevent dryness
Some places are extremely dry as a result of air conditioning.
To give an example, if you go on a plane, we recommend placing a towel or wet tissue over our mouth and nose to prevent dryness and to hydrate your vocal cords. Similarly, this can happen in an office where they use too much air.
Also, watch out! This can happen during the winter when the heater is cranked up, as well.
Furthermore, you should avoid areas with poor ventilation, heavy smoke or noise because they’re the perfect hot spot for trouble: they’re full of mold, fungus and dust that can affect your throat.
7. Don’t talk
It might sound impossible, but in many cases, it helps to keep your lips zips and let your throat rest.
People who have jobs that demand a lot from their vocal cords (receptionists, singers, broadcasters, etc.) might especially feel throat dryness at the end of the day.
In light of this, you shouldn’t talk when it isn’t necessary. By avoiding it, your throat can find some relief.
8. Don’t smoke
Cigarette toxins and smoke don’t only affect your lungs, but your entire respiratory system, which includes the throat and vocal cords.
If you don’t smoke, avoid being near those who do because you could still suffer the consequences.
Visit this article: Quit Smoking with These 15 Psychological Practices
9. Coughing
When your your throat feels uncomfortable, resist the habit and don’t clear your throat by coughing.
Instead, you should cough to eliminate whatever is blocking your airway. By coughing , you can preventing vocal cord damage. If the problem continues, drink a little water or your choice of tea.
10. Express what’s going on
Lastly, you shouldn’t look brush over a sore throat. Although you might not believe it, your throat is linked to emotions.
So, when something bothers you, you may feel a sort of “knot” that doesn’t let you breathe nor talk well. Express what’s happening in your case and ask for the things that you need.
Talk about your fears, frustrations, sadness and worries with trusted people (or in therapy). You’ll see that everything, even your throat, will change for the better.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Tanz, R. R. (2017). Sore Throat. In Nelson Pediatric Symptom-Based Diagnosis. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-39956-2.00001-7
- Spinks, A., Glasziou, P. P., & Del Mar, C. B. (2013). Antibiotics for sore throat (Review). The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000023.pub4
- Pelucchi, C., Grigoryan, L., Galeone, C., Esposito, S., Huovinen, P., Little, P., & Verheij, T. (2012). Guideline for management of acute sore throat. Clinical Microbiology and Infection. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-0691.2012.03766.x
