The
RIGHT Way To Clear Your Throat
Q:
Soon after I get to work and I start talking on the phone I have to start
clearing my throat. Why is that, and what can I do to stop it?
A: My guess is
that by the time you get to work, you have done just enough moving around
and speaking to loosen up mucous in the sinuses and nasal passages. What was
stuffiness a few hours before is now beginning to drain as you speak. Try to
start your day with some significant humming. Also, breathing steam will get
things opening up early. Then you can use the RIGHT WAY to clear it.
The goal, of course, is to
remove thick mucous from the airway. Babies or animals just use air, or a
light cough. That's safe and natural. For some reason we adults try a loud,
grinding exhale, which sounds awful and, in fact IS AWFUL for the throat.
Most important, it doesn't clear anything. In fact, it CAUSES a THICKER
mucous to form. Exactly the reverse of what you wanted.
The solution is to use a
squeezed \\\\"Haaaa\\\\" sound while you exhale, using JUST AIR. This
creates a powerful stream of compressed air, which moves the mucous UP THE
TRACHEA. You can then swallow, and it move DOWN THE ESOPHAGUS, and is gone
forever. You can also spit it out. Using just air to clear the throat can be
done very quietly and discretely, with the mouth closed, even amidst
conversation or singing.
After a few days of NOT
ABRASIVELY CLEARING THE THROAT you will probably find that the mucous is
thinner and easier to clear and swallow. By using this non-traumatic way of
clearing the throat you will get the job done and NOT be damaging the voice.
It is also likely that you will add several notes to the high end of your
range. How's that for a good byproduct?
WARNING: If you are a
\"grinding\" throat-clearer you may do serious, permanent damage to your
voice. There's a reason that babies and animals don't make this sound. It's
destructive. Be warned, and don't sacrifice your voice for the sake of an
old habit.
