healthy throat

Get in the habit of wearing a scarf around your neck to keep the throat area warm. Do you know that the neck is one of the most overlooked sources of heat loss? Anywhere from 40 to 50 percent of our body heat can be lost from the surface of the head and neck. Changes in extreme temperature such as going from a heated car into the cold outside and vice versa should be avoided when possible.

Do not drink from the same glass, cup or bottle that someone else is using, as you may be at risk of cross contamination. The same is true for sharing eating utensils and even napkins.

One source of infection that is over looked by most people is the toothbrush. Left over night, it can be a potential source of problem for the throat and mouth. Every morning, before brushing the teeth, soak your toothbrush in a glass of hot water to which a teaspoonful of common salt has been added. This helps to disinfect the toothbrush and also helps keep it clean.

Gargle every night with a mixture of warm water and salt. Just a pinch of salt will do. During cold and flu season this is a habit that will help to disinfect the mouth and throat. Your grandmother knew the benefits of making this a habit. And if you catch a sore throat early enough, salt water will give you fast relief. Salt water can also be used to clear a stuffy nose. Just snuff the above mixture into each nostril. Youll instantly begin breathing better through the nose.

One of the very best ways to protect the throat is with ginger juice and honey. After a good brushing in the morning,squeeze a little fresh ginger juice (3-4 ml) with 5 ml of honey and see for yourself what a good insurance policy this is for protecting your throat all day.I make my own ginger juice by boiling 2 or 3 slices of real ginger ( found in the vegetable section), then cooling it a little.I have also used turmeric. Simply take 1/2 cup of hot water and add a pinch of salt and 5 grms of turmeric powder to it. Drink this every night during cold and flu season to protect your throat. Another tip for rellieving sore throat pain, is to gargle with warm water and cayenne pepper.

Daily vocal warm ups are a must for singers, speakers, doctors, actors and the like. But not just any warm ups will do. In fact some warm ups can do more damage to the throat than not engaging in any warm ups. Slow, gentle humming on comfortable tones are excellent warm ups. Feel for vibrations across the mask area. To keep the lips loose and relaxed, include the buzzing sound ( the way you would buzz the lips on a babys belly to make the baby giggle).Sigh lightly on a soft ahhhh, feeling completely relaxed. Even yawning is an excellent warm up for the voice.

The larynx, or voice box, is located in the neck and performs several important functions. The larynx is involved in swallowing, breathing, and voice production. Sound is produced when the air which passes through the vocal cords causes them to vibrate and create sound waves in the pharynx, nose and mouth. The pitch of sound is determined by the amount of tension on the vocal folds (cords).

Viruses are responsible for 70-80 per cent of sore throats, so the best way to side-step a sore throat is to avoid catching a virus.One way to do this is to practice social distancing. If someone around you is coughing, simply move out of the way. If its you with the cough, then use cough etiquette and cough into your elbow, not your hand, to restrict the spread of germs.Keep your hands clean by washing them frequently, and keep them away from your mouth. If youre one of those people who lick their fingers to turn the page of a book dont do it! For your best defence against viral infections, get a flu shot.

If youre unlucky enough to succumb to a sore throat, there are some things you can do to ensure a speedy recovery.Make sure you are using a suitable method of pain relief, as advised by your pharmacist or doctor. Often soothing remedies such as honey and lemon can provide symptomatic relief while your body fights the infection.Keep your throat well irrigated by drinking lots of fluids preferably water. Dont gargle with anything that will irritate the throat, such as alcohol. Its important not to damage the normal cells in the throatHealthy eating is always important. Ensure you have a balanced diet and receive the recommended daily intake of vitamin C.

Squeeze some fresh lemon juice, or use bottled juice, and combine with warm water. Add some honey. Heating the drink with the honey is most effective.