Does Lemon and Honey In Your Tea Help With Voice Loss?

Have you ever been advised to drink lemon and honey in your tea to help with voice loss? Or perhaps you’ve been told to drink water while singing to keep your voice hydrated? While these are common suggestions, the truth is that they may not provide the immediate relief to your voice that you might expect.

Let's start with the basics. When we drink fluids, they travel down our esophagus and into our stomach. It can take up to 24 hours for the fluid that we drink to be absorbed into our body and make its way to our vocal folds. This means that the water you drink today will help your singing voice…tomorrow.

But the question is whether or not drinking lemon and honey in your tea will help with voice loss? And unfortunately, the answer to that question is no. This is because nothing we drink directly touches the vocal folds. If it did, that would be called drowning.

However, this doesn’t mean that drinking fluids is not important for maintaining a healthy voice. Staying hydrated is crucial for keeping your vocal folds lubricated and preventing dryness. Dehydration can lead to the mucus on the vocal folds to become stickier which could cause the vocal folds to vibrate less efficiently.

In addition to staying hydrated, there are other ways to care for your voice. One of the most important is to warm up properly before singing or speaking. Just like you would stretch before exercising, warming up your voice can help prevent injury and improve your vocal performance.

Another key factor in maintaining a healthy voice is proper technique. Whether you are singing or speaking, using the correct technique can help reduce strain on your vocal folds and improve your overall sound. Consider taking lessons with a vocal coach or speech therapist to learn proper technique.

Finally, it's important to give your voice time for rest when it needs it. If you feel your voice becoming tired or strained, take a break and allow your vocal folds to recover. This may mean avoiding excessive talking or singing for a few days, or simply reducing how much you talk during the day. Keep in mind that it’s not recommended to avoid talking altogether. Going on complete vocal rest could cause your voice to suffer from vocal fold atrophy. Vocal fold atrophy is the loss of muscle bulk in the vocal fold muscles. This can cause the surrounding laryngeal muscles to squeeze more tightly to compensate for the reduced vocal fold closure.

In conclusion, while drinking fluids may not directly impact your vocal folds, staying hydrated is still an important part of caring for your voice. To maintain a healthy voice, be sure to warm up properly, use proper technique, and give your voice rest when needed. And if you experience persistent voice problems, be sure to consult a doctor or speech therapist for further evaluation and treatment.