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The vocal cords are located along the air passage and not in the esophagus; hence, you cannot directly moisten it. Maybe if you have an aerosol spray that you can use to spray moist onto your nasal cavities, you can at least ensure that the moist will pass through the vocal cords and moisten these cords. Yet, this is not advisable.
If you are a singer, however, dry vocal cords can lead to throat irritation. More often, singers with dry vocal cords drink water in the hope of moistening their vocal cords and ridding themselves of vocal irritation. It does help, however, and so, many experts advise singers to drink water whenever they feel that their vocal cords are getting dry.
List of Drinks You Should Take Before Singing Performance
You cannot just drink any beverages or drinks that are handed to you if you have a dry throat. This is because some drinks can further aggravate the irritations of your throat. Here are the most recommended drinks if you experience dry vocal cords:
Water
Of course, nothing beats water when it comes to dry vocal cords. Yet, you should also consider the type of water you would drink. You should not drink cold water. The most recommended water is that of room-temperature water.
Warm water will not worsen the condition of your throat. Coldwater, on the other hand, may cause a sore throat. When you sing for a certain period, the veins of your vocal cords are over-extended, and you know what happens when veins are over-extended—they become hypersensitive.
To soothe such hypersensitive throat, you should drink warm water. You can add a bit of lemon or mint onto your water to soothe your throat. Make sure likewise that you do vocalizations before you engage in singing. This will help warm your vocal cords up and prevent overstraining of your vocal cords.
Herbal Tea
If you are worried that your voice will be strained during your vocal performance, it will do you good if you would warm it up with a warm herbal tea. A warm tea helps your throat’s muscles relax. Once relaxed, your vocal cords gain more flexibility and let you sing with ease. With relaxed throat muscles, you will gain better control of your voice. The more control you have of your voice, the more comfortable you can reach the higher notes.
The thing about tea is that, just like water, it hydrates you. Drinking tea also leaves you not bloated. When you sing, you usually let air vigorously pass through your vocal cords, and it is unlike when you are simply talking. So, the passing of dry air along the vocal cords lets the moist evaporate along with the passing dry air. You need to recoat the surface of the vocal cords with moisture to prevent them from drying.
Throat coat is derived from licorice with a tinge of elm bark and some organic ingredients. It has been concocted for a dry throat. You can add a bit of honey to make it more palatable to drink because it is quite strong.
You can try the throat coat, and you can buy it from the nearest convenience store. It provides an improvised coating to the surface of your vocal cords. You can also try peppermint or chamomile teas. These teas are known for their soothing effects.
You can also try the lemon tea and sprinkle it with honey. You can prepare this tea on your own. This tea with honey is proven to soothe the throat and provides extra hydration for its drinkers.
Another type of tea is white moss. This tea is popular in the Himalayan region and is known for cooling down overstretched vocal cords.
The tea you drink, of course, does not directly reach your vocal cords. Yet, when it passes through your throat, it also passes near your vocal cords. So, you will also feel its soothing effects on the adjacent vocal cords.
James Mann also has an article on things that can destroy your voice.
Pineapple Juice
If you have a cough and you intend to alleviate the effects of your cough, you can always go for a pineapple juice. You can drink it warm. But don’t drink it with chunks for the chunks might irritate your throat.
Pineapple juice can moisten your throat quickly. You can sip this juice every after a set or between every two songs for maximum effect. Yet, do not overdrink it, for it may upset your stomach, and you know what happens next with an upset stomach.
Which Drinks Should You Avoid?
Although you should take the initiative to drink beverages conducive to a healthy throat, you should also refrain from taking drinks known to aggravate dry vocal cords. Here are some of these forbidden drinks for dry vocal cords:
Ice Water
Your throat will get inflamed if you drink ice water after every singing session. You should remember that your vocal cords are tense and overstretched after prolonged singing, especially if you are a growler. So, soothing it with ice-cold water would be tantamount to damaging your throat. It can also cause constriction of your throat muscles; thus, damaging their flexibility.
Caffeinated Drinks
Caffeine, as a substance, tends to make you urinate a lot. This is because it has a diuretic property that makes you frequent the restroom. Hence, if you drink caffeinated drinks, you get dehydrated. Dehydration, of course, is the last thing that you would like to experience during a gig.
Aside from their diuretic property, caffeinated drinks can also cause your muscles to constrict. So, instead of relaxing your vocal muscles and vocal cords, they tend to constrict them, making it difficult for you to sing freely. Plus, it makes you a bit fidgety and nervous if you drink caffeinated drinks.
Frequently Asked Questions About Drinks Before Gigs
If you want to learn more about recommended drinks before a gig, you should also get cognizant of the FAQs about drinks:
Should I Not Drink Too Much Water?
You will surely know if you feel dehydrated or not. On average, of course, you should drink 8 glasses of water a day. Yet, if you are singing or about to sing, you often experience a bit of nervousness that makes your metabolism work faster. Your body consumes more water then. You should add extra cups of water to hydrate yourself.
You will intuitively know if you are slightly dehydrated if your vocal cords feel dry. So, you should drink water immediately if you feel like this. Moreover, you should not only drink water before every performance for that is not good either. It would be best if you prepared your vocal cords for a gig throughout the day by drinking water whenever you feel that your throat is dry. Dryness of throat, of course, is indicative of the fact that your body is dehydrated.
Can I Drink Soft Drinks?
Soft drinks, of course, is caffeinated. So, they are not recommended for those who have gigs and having dry throats. The abovementioned recommended drinks for hydrating oneself, however, are useful in helping your vocal cords get through the rigors of gigs. So, instead of drinking soft drinks, you better drink the abovementioned recommended drinks
Conclusion
Hydrating the body is a prerequisite to anyone who wants to thrive in his/her singing career. However, rehydrating the body should be a consistent process and should not be done only every time you have a gig. It should be an ongoing process and should be a habit of those who would like to excel as a singer.
Remember that healthy vocal cords are not achieved overnight. They are a byproduct of ongoing care for your vocal cords. So, aside from employing the necessary singing techniques and knowhow, you should also avoid the things that may damage your vocal cords.
