How To Actually Fix A Lost Voice

According to science (hint: lemon and honey doesn't work)

Your epiglottis stops food and drink from going down your windpipe, which means it prevents your lemon and honey tea from touching your voice box.

Drinking lots of water can also benefit our vocal folds. Even though water doesn't have direct contact with our voice box, it hydrates the cells in our body.

You should also rest your voice, although it depends on what's causing your symptoms. In a case of acute laryngitis caused by an infection, your doctor might suggest you completely rest your voice. Similarly, if you've had trauma or surgery to your voice box, your doctor might suggest refraining from talking at all for a certain period.

But some ENTs won't recommend completely resting your voice in other instances. For some voice disorders, your specialist might recommend you start doing voice exercises. One example is "straw phonation," where you put a straw into a glass of water and speak through it in various ways, depending on the desired outcomes of the treatment.

If you have a hoarse voice but cannot rest it, it's better to talk at a low volume in a consistent tone—but don't whisper! Whispering too much can put more strain on your voice box than regular speech.

So if you lose your voice, don't forget: drink lots of water, use a humidifier if you can, rest your voice, and don't worry about gargling salt water or drinking lemon and honey tea.