Debunking Popular Myths
“People will say when you have a sore throat, you should gargle with lemon water. And yes, lemon has great qualities to it however my question is, would you put lemon in an open wound? One of the easiest remedies for inflammation is purified water and baking soda,” explains the vocal health expert.
“Another myth for people with sore throat is to they gargle with apple cider vinegar. ACV has an acidic property to it which is very brash on inflated vocal folds, so you want to do something that’s not so harsh on the vocal folds. A lot of times people will go to chloraseptic sprays to numb their vocal folds and it gives a false sense of healing. If you cannot pronounce what’s in the spray, do not put it on your vocal folds. It takes an average of 3-5 days of rest for your vocals folds to come down from inflammation, so there’s no quick fix from bringing inflammation down from the vocal folds. You can take Halls and menthols, but they’re only soothing properties. The one real healing property is rest and hydration. Use purified water, baking soda and peppermint oil as a natural throat spray.”
Most people believe a cup of tea is a great solution for vocal issues, but here’s what you need to consider: “About 90 -95% of teabags are coated in chemicals,” explains Ashaala. “Teabags are counterproductive in helping the vocal folds and are very dehydrating. I recommend people take the loose leaves out of the teabags and put them in a diffuser. Also, make sure the teas aren’t caffeinated because caffeine dries out the vocal folds as well.”
For more information, visit The Music & Arts Healing Institute at www.themahi.com. Also, follow Ashaala Shannae on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ashaalashannae.