I'm REALLY Sick! I Can't Sing at All? HELP!!!

            I’ve been sick all week; I have bronchitis.  I take vitamins and use antibacterial wipes on everything and I STILL got sick.  It happens.  As a singer, though, getting really sick is pretty terrible.  There are no “sick days”, no “paid days off”, and no “vacation leave”.  You don’t work; you don’t eat!  So, what can you do?  First of all, EVERYONE gets sick every once in a while, the biggest opera singers, the most famous rock stars, and all of the rest of us.  Watch out for a blog post coming up on building your immune system but in the meanwhile… You need to educate yourself about ingredients, substances, and products that are especially helpful for you as a singer.  Here are a bunch of ideas, products, and recipes you can look into to help you heal, to comfort you, and to help your voice get through rough patches:

·      “Yogi Throat Comfort Tea” (https://www.yogiproducts.com/teas/throat-comfort/) - This is one of a couple of “commercial” teas.  It has a combination of Slippery Elm Bark, Licorice Root, and Wild Cherry Bark with other helpful ingredients.

·      “Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat Tea” (http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/products/throat-coat/) - This is a great combination of Slippery Elm Bark, Licorice and Marshmallow Root.

·      Honey (preferably “local” honey).  You shouldn’t just eat spoonful after spoonful of honey but treat it as if it were any other kind of “medicine”; take a teaspoon once every 4 to 6 hours or so.  You can also purchase Honey Sticks, such as the ones found through Sleeping Bear Farms (http://www.sleepingbearfarms.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=114&language=en&currency=USD&gclid=Cj0KEQjwnIm7BRDSs42KxLS8-6YBEiQAfDWP6Ig9XD-xOjWIT4mS1YPrHEsEg-XwBLyKEpzJiZAzRi0aAmVf8P8HAQ) or through Ebee Honey (http://www.ebeehoney.com/Honey-Straws-Stix.html).  Honey is the most natural and wonderful hydrator, moisturizer, and healer.  Even the kind you buy in a grocery store will help you.

·      Warm Salt Water Gargle done every 2 to 3 hours.  Be careful not to use water that is too hot, so that you don’t further injure your throat tissue.  Use approximately 1 teaspoon per 8-10 ounces of very warm water.

·      Other homemade Gargles – Use 2 oz. of very warm (but NOT burning hot) water; one dropper full of each herb or a full dropper of each in the water; and honey to taste.  Here are several different herbs to consider:

1.     Cayenne Pepper – You can use powder in this instance but be careful, as it is “spicy”.  Start with one “flick” of powder; you can always add more.  If you use liquid Cayenne, again, be careful of the quantity.  Start with a little and add more.  This is an anti-inflammatory, has antibacterial qualities, and comforts from pain.

2.     Licorice Root – Great for Tired, Overwhelmed, and/or Sore Voices.  Licorice is an anti-inflammatory and also has anti-allergic qualities, as well.

3.     Marshmallow (NO, not like in S’Mores BUT this IS the plant from which our tasty dessert took its name) – Used primarily for breathing, coughing, and soothing irritated passages, it also helps our bodies get rid of mucus and unwanted fluids.

4.     Sage is used for healing throat tissues, so in combination with a couple of other herbs, such as Licorice Root, Slippery Elm, and Propolis, a gargle with this will be very effective against laryngitis or ulcers.

5.     Slippery Elm is probably THE BEST herb there is for the throat!  You will find it present in pretty much EVERY commercial tea for singers and speakers.  It is an anti-inflammatory, anti-irritant, hydrator, and a component in most “normal” cough syrups sold today.  Slippery Elm is soothing and moisturizing.  If you only invest in one herb, let it be THIS one!

6.     Propolis – This is a material found in bee hives that honeybees bring from sap flows and tree buds to line their hives.  It has antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties.  It is helpful for shrinking swelling in the throat area, dissolving excess mucus, and alleviating hoarseness.

7.     Tumeric has been used for, literally, millennia by Indian and Chinese medical practitioners.  It has amazing anti-inflammatory qualities, so it is very helpful for treating a weary or sore voice.

8.     Apple Cider Vinegar can rid you of a sore throat.  It has antibacterial properties, is a natural expectorant, a strong immune system support, and is a white blood cell and T-cell count booster.  To make an effective gargle, combine ¼ cup of very warm water with ¼ cup of Apple Cider Vinegar.  Then, repeat each hour until your throat is better.  If this taste is too bitter, mix 1 teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar in 8 ounces of warm water and gargle.  This will take longer to work but will still be effective.  Apple Cider Vinegar can also be swallowed, a sip at a time.  After each sip, chase the vinegar with water to flush out your system.  I will also include several “teas” made with Apple Cider vinegar in following posts.

9.     Singer’s Gargle of ½ teaspoon baking soda; 1 tablespoon of honey (“local”, if possible); ½ teaspoon of salt; and 8 ounces of warm water.

·      STEAM!  STEAM!  STEAM!  Just this week I discovered THE most amazing product, the Conair Facial Sauna System (http://www.conair.com/give-your-face-a-lift-conair-facial-sauna-system-tntinfo-34_40-53.html).  It’s your very own, personal steamer.  It’s compact, clean, extremely effective, and quite inexpensive!  Now, you can do this with a steam shower or a steam room at your gym but many of us don’t have access to those.  You can even do a “version” of this with a simple towel over your head, leaning into a sink, breathing the steam of very hot water through your nose but there, you stand to lose a LOT of the steam, which is much more inefficient.  Consider purchasing this small unit to invest in your future and the future of your voice’s success.  Steam works incredibly well.  As I mentioned, I have had Bronchitis all week.  When I woke up this morning, my sinuses were terribly congested, so I hooked up my handy dandy Facial Sauna Spa and used it for about 5 minutes.  The steam immediately cleared out my congestion with no medications and no other fuss.  Additionally, it can be very helpful to add various essential oils (including those mentioned above) along with tea tree oil, and/or eucalyptus oil.  Make certain to keep a small towel close by to dry off your face afterwards.  This could also be accomplished by boiling a metal bowl of water on a stove and using the over-the-head towel technique.  Always be careful because steam is extremely HOT and can definitely burn you!

·      Syrups you can make:

1.     Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey – Blend/Stir Together ¼ cup of Apple Cider Vinegar with ¼ cup of Honey.  Mix this together and “take it”, as you would a medication.  Take 1 tablespoon every 4 hours or as pain requires.  It is also possible to try this more intense mixture like a tea/drink.  Use 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar with 1 teaspoon of Honey in 8 ounces of very warm water.  This you sip slowly.  Make sure you rinse your mouth with plain water after using the Apple Cider Vinegar.  Also, always use Organic, Raw, Unpasteurized, Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar, not just what you find on your local grocery shelf.

2.     Ginger Peppermint Syrup – The ginger is an expectorant and soothes the cough reflex.  The peppermint also soothes the irritation.  Use approximately 3 tablespoons of chopped, fresh ginger; 1 tablespoon of dried peppermint (or twice as much fresh peppermint); 4 cups of very warm water; and 1 cup of “local” honey.  Add the chopped ginger and peppermint to the pot of 4 cups of water and bring it to a boil.  When it begins to boil, lower the temperature and allow the liquid to reduce to HALF, then strain and let cool slightly.  Add 1 cup of honey to the mixture, mix well, and take 1 tablespoon every few hours to help with your cough.  This can be saved, refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

3.     Pepper and Honey – We all keep Black Pepper but we only think of it for use on food.  However, you will probably remember it making you sneeze at some point when you got too close to it, and this is the attribute we want to exploit now.  The honey’s soothing qualities temper the pepper’s irritating issues and add antibacterial properties as well.  Use Fresh-Ground Black Pepper, for best results.  To make the syrup, combine 1 tablespoon of “local” honey with 1 TEAspoon of Freshly Ground Black Pepper.  Mix and take 1 teaspoon at a time as needed, for cough and congestion.  To use this as a tea, combine 1 tablespoon of “local” honey; 1 teaspoon of Fresh Ground Black Pepper; and 8 ounces of very warm water.  Allow the mixture to steep, COVERED for 10 minutes, combine again, and consume completely.  You can repeat this once or twice during a day to aid in loosening congestion.

Check my next post for a number of additional homemade teas and commercial tea combinations, which will be wonderful, not only, when a singer is sick or tired, but just wants a soothing treat for a job well done.  Thanks everyone!  Sing it Forward!