What Causes a Raspy Voice, Know its Treatments, Home Remedies

Raspy voice is a condition wherein the throat feels dry and scratchy. Raspy voice is also commonly referred to as hoarse voice. When a person suffers from raspy voice, he/she is not able to speak normally or smoothly owing to an issue with the vocal cords. Any inflammation in the vocal cords is referred to as Laryngitis which can be caused either due to the overuse of the vocal cords or due to an infection also. If a raspy voice persists for more than 10 hours, instant medical help should be sought, as it may indicate a more serious medical condition.

When it comes to hoarseness in the voice or raspy voice, it can be caused because of some common reasons which nothing to worry about and simple rectification of the cause helps you overcome your raspy voice. Some of the causes of raspy voice include.

Overuse of the Vocal Cords. If a person has been singing, hooting, screaming or otherwise exerted extra pressure on the vocal cords for a long period of time, the voice turns raspy.

Smoking and Drinking. The other common causes of raspy voice include excessive drinking and smoking. Other than alcohol, an excessive consumption of other aerated beverages also causes damage to the vocal cords and causes raspy voice.

Allergies. The consumption of foods which do not go well with the body also results in a raspy voice; due to allergies. Inhaling toxic substances also fall under the causes of raspy voice.

Excessive Coughing. In cases where the patient is having severe cough, then he/she may develop a raspy voice.

The above listed reasons fall under the category of common reasons, but there may be other uncommon reasons, which indicate the prevalence of a bigger problem. Some of the uncommon and serious causes of raspy voice include.

• Abnormal growths on the vocal cords also referred to as polyps.
• Medical conditions like thyroid (hyper or hypo thyroid) or cancers (throat or lung cancer).
• At times in case of the males, when they reach the age of adolescence, the voice deepens, which might make it hoarse or raspy in nature.
• Swelling of aorta (the largest artery of the heart) also has its impact on the vocal cords and hoarseness or raspy voice may indicate the possibility of aortic aneurysms.
• Other nerve conditions, which can weaken the voice box muscles can also produce raspy voice.

Instant alleviation of raspy voice is rare and it is only through diligent care and following of the proper routine regarding the care of the vocal cords, that raspy voice or hoarseness is eased. Some of the self-care tips to help you overcome raspy voice include.

Resting Your Voice. Since an overuse of the vocal cords is the basic reason of raspy voice, the primary solution is getting the vocal cords to rest. Shouting and even speaking should be avoided. Whispering is also a bad idea, as it exerts pressure on the cords rather than relieving them of the pressure.

Staying Hydrated. Adequate rest along with staying hydrated and throat wet also helps in calming down the symptoms of a raspy throat. Drinking plenty of fluid keep the throat wet and hastens the recovery process from a raspy voice.

Avoid Caffeine & Alcohol. Talking of fluids, drinks that hamper the throat should be avoided to ease raspy voice. Alcohol and other aerated beverages fall under this bracket and should be refrained from until complete recovery of the throat.

Humidifier. As mentioned above, moisture helps relieve the throat of any strain, thus installing a humidifier in the room also helps this condition. The moisture in the air helps open up the air passages and hence improve the hoarseness of the voice.

Hot Shower. Quite like the humidifier, the hot shower also works wonders for your throat as again the moisture gets to your throat and relieves the air passages and alleviates your raspy voice.

Avoid the Use of Decongestants. Quite a few times a raspy voice is understood to be an indication of congestion and decongestants are taken to relieve the problem. But instead of making it better, the decongestants make the throat further more dry and irritable and aggravates raspy voice.

Prevention does work better than cure for most cases and in this case too, prevention of conditions that might lead to a hoarse voice or raspy voice is highly recommended to tackle the problem of voice that turns raspy easily.

Quit Smoking to Prevent Raspy Voice. Smoking is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to the bad condition of the vocal cords. Thus abstaini9ng from cigarettes overall decreases the incidences of a sore throat and a hoarse voice in individuals. Over and above that, it the throat is not adequately moist cigarette smoking increases its dryness and irritates the throat thus worsening the condition.

Maintain Hydration to Prevent Raspy Voice. Keeping yourself hydrated goes a long way in being able to deal with the problem of raspy voice. Moisture in the throat and the airway passages helps clearing out the germs and does not let them harm the throat. A minimum of 8 glasses of water per day are essential to maintain a healthy throat. As a corollary to the above statement, any drinks that cause dehydration like caffeinated drinks should be avoided to prevent a raspy voice.

Wash Your Hands to Prevent Raspy Voice. In many cases, hoarseness is a result of some form of infection. Washing hands keeps your hands off the germs and hence helps prevent a hoarse throat.