Vocal Hygiene

Practical, everyday advice to protect your voice and reduce the risk of vocal cord problems developing.

What is the condition?

Vocal hygiene is the set of everyday habits that keep the vocal cords healthy — staying hydrated, managing reflux, and avoiding vocal abuse. It is recommended alongside almost every other treatment on this site, and is often enough on its own to prevent minor voice problems from developing into something that needs surgery.

Treatment

What can be done?

Simple, low-cost measures that meaningfully reduce the risk of vocal cord strain and injury.

Staying well hydrated throughout the day
Avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol
Managing reflux where relevant
Avoiding shouting, screaming or prolonged throat clearing

Prevention

What should I do?

Dos

Do drink water regularly throughout the day, especially before prolonged voice use
Do use amplification (e.g. a microphone) rather than raising your voice, in noisy or large spaces
Do warm up your voice gently before demanding vocal tasks such as singing or public speaking

Don'ts

Don't smoke, which irritates and dries the vocal cords
Don't whisper for long periods when hoarse — it can strain the cords as much as speaking
Don't ignore ongoing vocal strain in the hope it will resolve by itself

What is the condition?

What can be done?

What should I do?

Get in touch with our team