What is hoarseness

Hoarseness is a momentary lowering or loss of the voice which therefore involves difficulty or inability to speak.

It is a symptom that can appear suddenly or progressively and that can indicate numerous, generally not serious, ailments.Hoarseness may appear on its own or be associated with other symptoms , which can help assess the cause of the lowered voice.

The alteration of the voice can in fact be accompanied by sore throat , cough, cold and other more or less serious flu symptoms, or heartburn in the case of reflux hoarseness.

Normally, however, it is a benign and transient symptom that resolves spontaneously by acting on the cause and for which it is not necessary to be alarmed. 
If, on the other hand, the hoarseness is chronic and persists for a long time, it is advisable to consult a doctor to rule out more serious pathologies.

Remedies for hoarseness

Remedies for hoarseness are obviously different, depending on the cause of the symptom. When hoarseness is caused by excessive use of the voice, it is sufficient to rest the vocal cords for a few days to regain the ability to make sounds.

Those who are forced to talk for a long time or sing for work should perform simple warm-up exercises for the vocal cords to avoid recurring hoarseness after a long speech or after singing. 

Of great use in this case is the erisimo , a plant also known as the singers’ herb, to be taken in the form of herbal tea or mother tincture to recover the voice in a short time.

If, on the other hand, the cause of the hoarseness is a viral infection,treating the infection will lead to a full recovery of the voice in one to two weeks.

In the event that hoarseness is a consequence of gastroesophageal reflux , it will instead be necessary to treat this disorder, even with natural remedies such as licorice, plants rich in mucilage such as mallow or products based on alginates extracted from algae.

Whatever the cause of hoarseness it is important not to strain the vocal cords trying to speak, avoid smoking and alcohol and exposure to other irritants such as paints, solvents, detergents.

Hydration through the consumption of water and herbal teas and the use of a humidifier at home , on the other hand, can help to counteract hoarseness, keeping the throat moist and lubricated. Eventually it is also possible to carry out moisturizing fumigations by adding essential oils of cypress, eucalyptus and thyme to the water.

It is also useful to try to resist coughing constantly or scratching the throat : in this, the action of bechic plants such as plantain, mallow, marshmallow or Iceland lichen can help.

If the hoarseness persists for a long time , for weeks or even months, and the cause cannot be determined, it is preferable to contact your doctor for a thorough check and identify the treatment.