Vocal Tip # 2 - Throat clearing is harmful?

When you clear your throat you ‘scrape’ the mucous off the mucous membranes of the vocal cords. It is not damaging to clear your throat. It can be a function of vital importance if mucous is entering the windpipe, but it might irritate the mucous membrane if you do it too often and too vigorously.

• Instead of clearing your throat to clear mucous let it remain there until it has covered the dry spots on the membrane. Go ahead and use your voice and disregard the woolly sound. Start by humming or speaking, carefully at first, and soon the rapid vibrations of the vocal cords will shake loose the excess mucous.

• There is another safe way of making excess mucous disappear. Closing your mouth, and the nasal passage (or block the nose) and at the same time suck inwards and swallow. This creates a partial vacuum that sucks the excess mucous off the vocal cords

• Take a sip of water (not too cold nor too hot)

• A very gentle clearing (almost unvoiced)