Laryngitis: Screaming for Attention

Best Single Herb: Sage (wet conditions); slippery elm (hot/dry conditions)

Best Combinations: Licorice; slippery elm; golden seal, echinacea; sage

Other Helpful Supplements: Zinc; pantothenic acid; citrus bioflavonoids; vitamin A; beta carotene

Possible Causes: Virus or bacterial infection; overuse of voice; dry conditions

Complementary Help: Humidifier; herbal lozenges; sage gargle or tea; sage oil used externally

Laryngitis is the inflammation and irritation of the larynx, which is commonly referred to as our voice box. This irritation makes the voice sound raspy, which means that the person who has this condition will sound like he’s speaking in a whisper. Sometimes it hurts so bad to speak that the person does not speak at all!

Although a little bit of laryngitis may make a woman sound enticingly sexy, this problem is usually caused by some unattractive problems such as allergies, colds, infections, or emotional stress.

Once the ailment has passed, the voice box will usually return to its normal condition on its own. In the meantime, you will need to soothe those vocal cords of yours.

Wisdom of the Sages

The leaves of the sage plant (Salvia officinalis) have an affinity for the mucus membranes and, therefore, make an excellent herbal remedy when suffering from laryngitis. Sage also aids the nervous system, making it even more valuable for stress-induced laryngitis. Herbalists and others sometimes get this herb confused with sagebrush, a member of the wormwood or Artemisia family.

You can rub the oil of the sage plant around your throat area for some relief, or you can stir up a decoction and use it as a gargle to stop mucus drainage that could be causing your throat irritation.

Taken internally, sage has been helpful for digestion and intestines, and it also tends to “go to the head,” making it great for sinus trouble, memory, inflamed gums, mouth sores, and headaches. In addition, sage is high in calcium, potassium, B1, and zinc, and it has drying properties, which is why it is good for laryngitis caused by excess mucus irritation. But be warned: Do not take sage internally if you are breast-feeding — its drying properties can dry up your breast milk! It is also not recommended during pregnancy.

I have put a homemade decoction of sage in a bottle and used it when I was growing my hair long to stimulate my hair growth. You can also use this herb rinse to clear up dandruff problems.

About overcoming an ailment with herbs

Make a decoction from sage, slippery elm, and golden seal, cool the mixture slightly, and pour it into a small spray bottle. You can then use the formula as a spray for a sore throat or laryngitis. This mixture of herbs is designed to fight infections, soothe irritated mucus membranes, and dry up excess mucus production.

Herbal Lozenges

Of course, sage is not the only herb in the world that has been used successfully for laryngitis and sore throats. Licorice root also is healing for the tissues and can ease the coughing that may be causing your problem. In addition, slippery elm is mucilaginous and soothing to tissues, and golden seal and echinacea will help fight infections. You can use all of these herbs to help you if you have laryngitis.

About overcoming an ailment with herbs

Some companies make herbal lozenges from ascorbic acid (vitamin C), zinc, slippery elm, or licorice root Zinc aids the immune system and seems to work better when slowly ingested, such as when you take it in a slow-dissolving lozenge.

Laryngitis is a condition where you will need to take energetics into account again. Consider the nature of your laryngitis: Is it caused by a wet condition? This would be a mucus condition, such as bronchitis or a head cold, in which mucus draining down the back of your throat is irritating your tissues and causing you to cough.

Or, perhaps your laryngitis is caused by hot, dry, scratchy conditions. If your throat is hot and dry, sage may make it worse because it will only continue to dry your tissues. In this case, use a humidifier and slippery elm or marshmallow to soothe your throat.

What can cause a hot, dry throat condition? Let’s take a look at some of the possibilities:

• Screaming at your employees, children, spouse, barking dogs next door — or practicing the Tarzan yell
• A fever that’s drying you out
• Summertime allergies
• Turning on the dry, hot heat at the start of winter
• Singing opera under bright lights
• Riding on a motorcycle with your mouth wide open
• Sleeping with your mouth open (catching flies)
• Eating crackers on a hot day, without water, and reading my book at the same time (which is causing you to inhale the crumbs every time you laugh)

About overcoming an ailment with herbs

If you know what has been causing your laryngitis, such as mucus congestion from a cold or bronchitis, see the appropriate herbal remedies listed for each of these ailments in this book so that you can work at the source of your problem. Killing infection and helping your body to recover from your cold will help fast-forward your laryngitis symptoms.

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