How to deal with a cold – BIGMOUTH Chorus

With Winter just around the corner, the dreaded cold and flu season isn’t far behind. These bugs can wreak havoc with our voices and it’s important to know how to handle them.

Firstly, if you have a cold – DON’T SING. Your voice needs time to rest, trying to sing before it’s had that time to recover will only put them through unwarranted stress. Before trying to sing, make sure you try these tips to help your voice recover.

1. Drink LOTS of water It’s that advice again! In all seriousness, many illnesses can cause the body to hold less water, so making sure you get those fluids in your system is even more important than usual. Normally, we wouldn’t suggest ice water as the cold can shock your vocal cords, however, ice water can help reduce swelling. If you fancy mixing it up even more, a bit of lemon juice can give you a good shot of vitamin C to speed up your recovery. The remedy most singers swear by is hot water, honey and lemon. Evidence suggests that honey has a protective effect against up to 60 kinds of germ and its thick texture helps soothe the throat, curbing irritation and reduce coughing which can tear the throat. It’s also a lot nicer than just plain old water. Additionally, the sugars in honey are helpful in fueling your body, especially if you don’t feel like swallowing – Lucozade was actually developed originally for people who were unwell and need that energy.

Pineapple or Grapefruit juice are also good if lemon doesn’t agree with you.