{"id":2562,"date":"2017-02-21T02:41:41","date_gmt":"2017-02-21T02:41:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/?p=2562"},"modified":"2019-03-18T21:05:33","modified_gmt":"2019-03-18T21:05:33","slug":"yikes-i-lost-my-voice-advice-for-actors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/yikes-i-lost-my-voice-advice-for-actors\/","title":{"rendered":"Yikes! I\u2019ve Lost My Voice!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yikes<\/span>\u00a0I<\/span>\u00a0Lost<\/span>\u00a0My<\/span>\u00a0Voice<\/span>\u00a0Advice<\/span>\u00a0For<\/span>\u00a0Actors<\/span><\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n \"\"<\/a><\/span>

Written by\u00a0Ginny Kopf<\/p>\n

February 17, 2017<\/p>\n<\/font>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>

The big audition or performance is today and you have a sore throat! What can you do?<\/p>\n

Maybe you suspect it\u2019s the beginning of a cold or flu. Or an allergy. But you have to consider that maybe you pushed it too hard the day before, screaming, belting, talking all day, using wacky character voices, or just being stressed out. If you\u2019ve overused or abused your voice, then you need rest<\/em>, plain and simple.\u00a0 And<\/em>\u00a0you need to prevent it from happening again by figuring out what you are doing wrong that\u2019s contributing to the sore throat.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d love to be able to tell you there\u2019s one miracle pill to take, but it just ain\u2019t so.\u00a0But let me offer some tips that just might help you minimize some of those nasty symptoms. All of these are natural remedies, no drugs at all.<\/p>\n

1. Salt water gargle.<\/h4>\n
\"\"<\/span><\/div>

A warm salt water gargle is nature’s healer. You can do it many times a day. When throat doctors are asked what products to buy for the throat, they all recommend water<\/em> and rest<\/em> are best.<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>

2. Citrus: use it, but beware its downsides.<\/h4>\n
\"\"<\/span><\/div>

If your throat feels thick with mucus, put some lemon in your water sipper to cut the phlegm. But if your throat feels dry<\/em>, don’t use lemon or drink grapefruit juice, as it robs your throat of the mucus it needs to function–instead drink lots of water and suck on sugar-free lozenges, like \u201cRiccola\u201d and vitamin C drops, ones without drying antihistamines.<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>

3. Cold-Eeze.<\/h4>\n
\"\"<\/span><\/div>

The second you feel a little something wrong in your throat, take \u201cCold-Eeze\u201d Zinc lozenges. They are proven to cut the length and severity of a cold by 45%. These have kept a cold at bay for me for years. Do not use numbing chloraseptic sprays.<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>

4. GermMD.<\/h4>\n
\"\"<\/span><\/div>

Some people swear by \u201cAirborne\u201d, but it doesn\u2019t have much in it to help you once you are<\/em>\u00a0sick. \u00a0I\u2019ve discovered \u201cGerm MD\u201d which is a combination of Vitamin C, Zinc, and other natural extracts for supporting your immune system.<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>

5. Throat Coat Tea.<\/h4>\n
\"\"<\/span><\/div>

Warm tea is fine. “Throat Coat” is a recommended herbal tea. It has \u201cSlippery Elm\u201d which soothes.<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>

6. Scarves.<\/h4>\n
\"\"<\/span><\/div>

Wrap your neck so it stays warm. Baby your throat at night by sleeping with a scarf tied around your neck. The warmth will aid in healing by relaxing your neck muscles.<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>

7. Ocean Nasal Spray.<\/h4>\n
\"\"<\/span><\/div>

You can clear your sinuses by using \u201cOcean\u201d or other similar nose sprays, which are simply saline.<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>

8. Soft vocal exercises.<\/h4>\n
\"\"<\/span><\/div>

Clear your sinuses by humming, humming, humming for at least 3 minutes.\u00a0 Direct the hums right into the nose. Light humming also helps sore throats–do a siren around the pitches that seem to vibrate where your throat hurts the most.<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>

9. Go to the doctor. Seriously.<\/h4>\n
\"\"<\/span><\/div>

A cough or clearing your throat may be from a cold or flu, but often it is an allergy or reflux, so get it checked out. If your problem is viral, unfortunately nothing is going to help but time, although natural remedies can certainly help ease the symptoms.<\/p>\n

Above all, don’t ignore a throat problem. Get help from a doctor and<\/em>\u00a0a qualified vocal trainer. Do everything you can to build up your immune system, and take precious care of your instrument every day.<\/p>\n
\r\n

Need some advice? We\u2019ve got you covered.<\/h3>\n