A
male
age
36-40,
*ndy00
writes:Hi everybody. Slight change from the norm; I have a health related question.As some of you know, I'm in a rock band for my Music course in college. I have to give a performance this Thursday in front of all my fellow students and friends. It is a fairly important performance, as it is the last one of the year.My problem is that over the past couple of days, I have come down with a rather nasty sore throat, and as a result, I have lost my voice! Typical!I NEED to get shot of this by Thursday, as our performance as a band may suffer, if I am unable to sing the songs properly. Can anybody please give me any tips on how to shake off this illness? I may not be able to get rid of it in time, but my voice is in great need of your help! Reply to this Question
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male
reader, euclid +, writes (23 January 2010):
Right guys - I have show in York tomorrow night and yes I have a sore throat - I did two gigs already this week and it naturally got worse. I am going to follow the tips as they make sense! I will let you know the results.
On the first gig the Venue had no monitors so it was all strain - I'm using my own kit this time and hope I can get through it.
Kind regards
Wes Paul
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (26 April 2008): Taking Garlic is good, Cayenne pepper tea is good. Doing jumping jacks good. gargling salt water, good, apple cider vinegar good, lots of water good, ginger root good!!!!!
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male
reader, Andy00 +, writes (15 April 2008):
Andy00 is verified as being by the original poster of the question "I know what your going through"
...I'm better now. Lol! It was 4 months ago. But in all seriousness, I will keep your advice in mind for the future. Cheers!
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female
reader, anonymous, writes (15 April 2008): Hey There,
I know what your going through. I am also a singer and i seem to catch a cold and sore throat right before every time i need to sing.
Usually, What i do is go to the drugstore and by a bottle of "Zinc"(this is almost the only thing that is proven to help cure colds).Then when you get home drink LOTS of warm water.This will help to loosen up the mucus.Afterwards i usually try gargling with salt water to get rid of the bacteria . And if you are singing songs with any high notes it helps to breathe in hot steam(ex:fill the sink up with hot water then put your above the steaming water and put a towel over you to kepp the steam in)
Well, i hope you do well and that i my advice can help,
Elissa
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female
reader, Oblivia  +, writes (20 December 2007):
 Good work!
:)
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male
reader, Andy00 +, writes (20 December 2007):
Andy00 is verified as being by the original poster of the questionWell, that's it. It's over. I've done it.
It was okay apparently. I know I messed up a few times, but my mistakes were more instrumental than vocal. I've yet to watch the tape back, but I'll judge it for myself, and maybe upload it for all of you.
Thanks for all you've tried to do for me these past few days, I really appreciate it.
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (20 December 2007): Oh yes,
When you go to sleep, prop yourself up higher than normal, but make sure you support you head and neck, you don't want any aches on you big day.
Good luck again.
Miss Anon.
xxx
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A
male
reader, Richard_EMids +, writes (20 December 2007):
 It's always worse when you lie down. Fluid irritates. Try sitting up a bit.
You have prob got this from stressing over your ex. Your immunity is suppressed.
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male
reader, Andy00 +, writes (20 December 2007):
Andy00 is verified as being by the original poster of the questionThanks for the continued advice, but I'm freaking out just now. It's nearly 20 minutes to 3am, and I can't sleep because (guess what!) I'M COUGHING UNCONTROLLABLY!! What the hell is going on? I've felt way better today, and the night has brought me coughing fits! What am I gonna do? This is bound to jeopardize my condition tomorrow!
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A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (19 December 2007): Not a lot of people know about this but it works all the time and even improves your voice:
Chew a small piece of ginger root. Just take off the skin, slice a small piece (no bigger than a quarter coin), and chew it like bubble gum or candy. Don't swallow.
It is pretty strong and has a lot of heat but it is not pepper heat. Your voice will come back in no time and will be better!!!
Trust me, I've been doing it for years and I am a singer.
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (19 December 2007): Hi Andy,Thankyou for the update and the very best of luck!Adrenelin is quite an amazing thing as well you know, you will find it helps a lot during the performance!Knock em dead! x
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male
reader, Andy00 +, writes (19 December 2007):
Andy00 is verified as being by the original poster of the questionHi everyone, so tomorrow is the night!
I've felt my voice returning quite rapidly over these past couple of days. I'm hoping it will be fine for my performance tomorrow! Not completely healed, but in decent enough condition. I still can't hit certain notes that would have made one song inparticular sound better, but frankly, I'll be happy enough if I can just get through it.
I'm getting the performance filmed, so I've decided that if the performance goes well enough, I'll upload it onto dailymotion and send you all the link so you can check it out for yourselves. After all, if it weren't for some of you guys, I may not have been in the improved condition I'm in, so it'll be my way of saying an added thank-you.
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male
reader, Andy00 +, writes (17 December 2007):
Andy00 is verified as being by the original poster of the questionRichard, no offense, but it's a bit late for that, don't you think? lol. We perform in 2 days, and we have no practice sessions left. It's do or die, I'm afraid.
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male
reader, Richard_EMids +, writes (17 December 2007):
Have you thought of an instrumental piece?
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female
reader, anonymous, writes (17 December 2007): Hi Again Andy,
Im glad you're starting to feel better!
Another tip for Thursday would be to make sure you have as much volume on the mic and in the monitors as you can get away with, as it will mean you won't have to sing as loudly!
Good luck! x x x
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A
male
reader, Andy00 +, writes (17 December 2007):
Andy00 is verified as being by the original poster of the questionI'd just like to thank everybody for the advice. I have taken to sipping from a jar of Honey occasionally (which feels about as disgusting as it sounds) and that's helping. I'm also taking cough syrup and nurofen, along with having about a pack of strepsils a day (I know that's much too much, but I'm sure it's helping me by taking them.
As for an update, I have 3 days to feel a great deal better than I do. I can feel my voice is returning, but I'm not going to be able to belt out the notes like I would really want to just yet. Hopefully that will happen very soon. My throat is a little more sore today, and I have been coughing a little more often, which I'm okay with, because it's probably a sign of my body fighting back against the virus.
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female
reader, anonymous, writes (17 December 2007): Hi Andy,
I am a singer too and has the same trouble this week with an important gig to do with a very hoarse and sore throat!
My advice is to take 2 nurofen half and hour before you are going on to calm the soreness, and also start sucking fishermans's friends, one at a time, right up until going onstage.
They're quite old fashioned but are amazing for sore throats and for a short term remedy singing wise!
Hot drinks too are great, and my secret tip is chewing gum! I always have a pack of green extra on me and always pop one in before going onstage, regardless of being poorly or not, as it keeps my mouth and throat moist and stops the need for taking water onstage! I sing for a living and this is my top tip!
Ice cold fizzy drinks work great too, there are conflicting reports on this but either a hot coffee or a chilled diet coke work great for me!
Good luck! x x x
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male
reader, Jamer70 +, writes (16 December 2007):
 i would try lemsips as they usually help. I also hear that Warm Honey helps sooths your throat so it should help you.
Good Luck
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female
reader, huneygyrl  +, writes (16 December 2007):
 Have you every tried drinking tea with honey? I have a couple of friends who sings in a church choir and they drink a lot of tea with honey prior to their performance. They have sore throats occasionally. Try it sometime.
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reader, anonymous, writes (16 December 2007): Hi,
Good luck with your performance - it's going to be great.
I had a sore throat the other day, and I had to sing in a Christmas concert (Do you have to sing very high, I doubt it) and I didn't feel the need to cough once!
The best thing to do is to take a couple of teaspoons of tixylix, a kid's cough syrup, which makes you cough a lot harder because it loosens the plemn in your throat and you clear your throat, you may want to take a stropsil or 20 afterwards but well with in time your throat will be back to it's singing glory!
Hope you sing brilliantly,
H
xxx
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female
reader, Oblivia +, writes (16 December 2007):
So it goes when you're out snogging girls, Andy!! ;) ;)
Lots of hot drinks, lots of antiseptic drugs from pharmacy and stay at home watching all your favourite tv-series. And don't talk more than necessarily.
You have 4 days to go, you will make it!
Good luck on Thursday!
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male
reader, sammy296 +, writes (16 December 2007):
 i would probably go to the doctor pretty quick and get some medicine - today if possible, to give the medicine time to workhope this helps:D
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male
reader, kenny + ♥, writes (16 December 2007):
 I don't think there is anything that is going to eradicate your sore throat instantly, throat sprays and lozenges will help you feel better in the short term. Time is the only true healer for this sort of thing, normally these things last for around a week, so i should think by Thursday it should start to subside. from now till thursday consume things that are high in vitimin C, like oranges, broccoli, ect.
Hope you feel better soon
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A
female
reader, starfairy +, writes (16 December 2007):
 Honey is awesome for sore throats. It's a natural antiseptic as well. Whenever I feel I have a cold or sore throat coming on I have a hot water with lemon juice and honey in it. Works a treat.
Otherwise you could dose up on strepsils, or there is a throat sweet you can get from pharmacies and supermarkets called Tyrozets and they have a mild anasthetic in them, they really numb your throat.
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