Hoarseness or hoarseness can be prevented and treated as follows

Having a persistent hoarse voice not only makes it difficult for you to swallow and speak, it also makes your vocal cords weaker. If you force to speak in a hoarse voice, your vocal cords need to exert more power. This hoarse voice condition can be caused by various things. Therefore, how to deal with or eliminate hoarseness must adjust to the conditions that cause it.

What causes hoarseness?

Hoarseness is characterized by changes in the voice that sound heavier and the volume of the voice is lower. This condition is usually accompanied by symptoms of a dry, sore, and itchy throat.

To determine the right way to get rid of hoarseness, it is important to first know the cause. Impaired sound quality is generally caused by irritation or injury to the vocal cords (larynx).

Irritation of the vocal cords can be caused by a number of conditions, but the most common is inflammation of the vocal cords (laryngitis). This condition is most often caused by an upper respiratory tract infection, usually by a viral infection.

In addition, there are other causes that can reduce the quality of the voice to become hoarse or hoarse, such as:

• Cysts, tumors, and vocal cord polyps
• Gastric acid reflux (GERD)
• Allergy
• Irritation of the respiratory tract
• Smoke
• Thyroid disorders
• Trauma (injury) to the larynx or vocal cords
• Nerve conditions such as Parkinson's disease and stroke

Apart from some of the above, hoarseness can also be caused by excessive use of the vocal cords, such as shouting or laughing too loudly.

The exact cause of your hoarseness can be determined through a medical examination by an ENT specialist. The doctor will observe the symptoms as well as examine the part of your throat, precisely in the larynx or vocal cords.

When the doctor has got the diagnosis, the doctor will determine how to treat hoarseness according to the cause.

Natural way to get rid of hoarseness

Treatment for hoarseness can vary depending on the cause. If it is caused by allergies or acute laryngitis that can heal within a few days, you can do self-care at home to get rid of hoarseness.

Here are home remedies that can be done to treat hoarseness:

1. Cut down on talking for a few days.

One way to restore your voice is to rest your vocal cords for a few days. This helps relieve the swelling caused by laryngitis.

When you experience a hoarse voice, don't talk too often, let alone laugh loudly and scream. Talk to the minimum. If possible, you should not talk at all for a while.

2. Drink lots of water

Drink plenty of water to help restore your voice. Liquids can also keep your throat moist. That way, the hoarse voice can return to its original state.

3. Avoid alcohol and caffeine

For the time being, avoid consuming alcohol and caffeine. Both of these drinks can dry out your throat and make hoarseness worse.

4. Take a shower with warm water

When a hoarse voice strikes in the morning, take a warm bath for the next few days. Warm water vapor can help open and moisten airways. You can do this way to get rid of hoarseness every morning to clear your throat.

5. Stop smoking

One of the causes of hoarseness is smoking. Cigarette smoke that gets into the throat can irritate the vocal cords and cause sore throat. Therefore, stop smoking so as not to worsen the inflammation that causes hoarseness.

6. Avoiding exposure to allergens

Allergens such as dust, pollution or pollen can trigger allergies that cause hoarseness. If you notice a dusty room, clean the room so you can minimize the risk of an allergic reaction. Including in the corner of the room that might be difficult to reach.

In addition, avoid using decongestants to treat allergy symptoms such as nasal congestion. Decongestants can actually irritate the vocal cords and dry out the throat. Although it clears the airways, it is not effective in curing hoarseness.

Medical treatment as a way to cure hoarseness

If the above methods don't work to relieve symptoms, there may be other causes that are causing your voice to become hoarse.

Even though you have done the method above to eliminate hoarseness, the voice may not return to normal. When this happens, especially if the symptoms have lasted for more than 2 weeks and even the voice is almost gone, you need to immediately consult a doctor.

According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, there are several medical treatments that doctors may use to treat hoarseness, such as:

1. Taking drugs

Laryngitis, which causes hoarseness of the voice, can be caused by a bacterial infection. Treatment requires the consumption of antibiotics for sore throat.

You need to comply with how to treat hoarseness with antibiotics as recommended by your doctor. Antibiotics usually need to be spent even though the voice has returned to normal.

Meanwhile, to treat hoarseness caused by rising stomach acid into the esophagus or GERD, the doctor will give antacids to neutralize the stomach.

Corticosteroid-type drugs may also be needed to treat hoarseness caused by cigarette smoke irritation, pollution, allergies, and injuries.

2. Voice or speech therapy

Some diseases that affect the muscles and nerves, such as Parkinson's and stroke, can trigger muscle paralysis of the vocal cords. Hoarseness is one of the symptoms caused by this disruption of the vocal cords. To restore the ability to speak, sound therapy with certain techniques is needed. How to deal with hoarseness needs to be done with the help of a voice therapist.

3. Vocal cord surgery

Vocal cord surgery is necessary when hoarseness is known to be caused by a disease that damages the structure, nervous system and muscles, and the function of the vocal cords. Damage to the vocal cords like this is most often caused by the presence of harmful tissue such as polyps, cysts, tumors or cancer.

How to treat hoarseness through surgery is done by removing the tissue and repairing the structure of the vocal cords.

How to prevent hoarseness?

Hoarseness can also be prevented by avoiding various factors that irritate the vocal cords. Not only by being aware of the transmission of viral and bacterial infections, you can do the things below to keep your voice clear.

• Don't yell or speak loudly for long periods of time. If you need to speak out loud in public, it's a good idea to use a microphone or other speaker.
• If you work as a singer or broadcaster, it may be necessary to do regular voice exercises with a vocal teacher or voice therapist. This method helps to strengthen the vocal cords so you avoid the risk of injury and irritation that causes hoarseness.
• Quitting smoking can prevent hoarseness of the voice as well as prevent the appearance of vocal cord cancer, the risk of which is caused by smoking.
• People with hoarseness caused by reflux of stomach acid (GERD) or increased stomach acid should adopt a regular diet and avoid excessive consumption of alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods.

In treating hoarseness, you need to know the exact cause so you can determine the right way of handling. However, when your throat starts to feel sore and your voice sounds hoarse, you can immediately treat these symptoms through home remedies. Don't hesitate to see a doctor if your symptoms don't get better.