Not being able to talk, or losing your voice, can be a distressing experience—especially if you use your voice often for work or school. It can also be uncomfortable. Your voice may be hoarse, and your throat may be sore, inflamed, or painful.

Most voice loss is the result of laryngitis, a viral infection that is usually mild and resolves in about three to seven days. People with laryngitis typically have a raspy voice, vocal fatigue, voice changes, and a dry cough. Treatments like rest, hydration, and steam inhalation can help ease discomfort and resolve symptoms.

If you have lost your voice, often the first—and most important—step toward getting it back is to allow your voice to rest. Continuing to strain your voice by trying to talk can cause discomfort and potentially worsen the inflammation. If you have laryngitis, using your voice can result in limited recovery or may slow the healing process.

Try to speak as little as possible and avoid whispering. Though it may sound counterintuitive, whispering is an extreme, similar to yelling, and causes strain on your voice. Instead, voice experts recommend using a “confidential voice,” which is a normal voice at a low volume that doesn’t include whispering, speaking loudly, or trying to project your voice.

When you’re recovering from an illness like a cold or the flu, getting plenty of rest is important to boost your immune response. Conversely, sleep deprivation can impair your immune function as well as increase the risk of infection and chronic diseases.

Research also shows there may be a connection between dysphonia (difficulty speaking) and sleep that goes beyond laryngitis. For instance, your voice is more likely to be affected when you are fatigued due to a lack of sleep. This may be due to both stress and a change in breath patterns.

One team of researchers found that voice problems were connected to abnormal amounts of sleep—either sleeping too long or not sleeping enough. The voice issues were particularly noticeable in people who did not sleep enough. The researchers found that people who slept about seven hours a day had the fewest voice issues, so aim for a full night’s rest to get your voice back.

Staying hydrated is crucial for vocal health, especially because your vocal folds are lined with a mucous layer that needs to stay thin and watery to function properly. If you become dehydrated, as is common when you are sick, that mucous layer can become thick and sticky, making it harder or more painful to use your voice.

Drinking plenty of water can help your vocal folds function properly. You may also want to avoid or limit over-the-counter (OTC) medications that could dry out your vocal folds, such as allergy and cold medicines.

A humidifier, especially in the winter, can help keep your vocal folds moist. Inhaling the moist air increases moisture in your upper airway and could help remove any secretions caused by a cold or virus. Aim for about 30% humidity if possible. If you do not have a humidifier, you can run a hot shower and sit in the bathroom for 15-20 minutes to inhale the moist air.

If you plan to use a humidifier, choose a cool-mist version and use distilled water instead of tap water. You will need to clean it daily and avoid running it non-stop, as it could make your room’s surfaces wet, promoting mold and bacterial growth.

Try to avoid anything that could irritate your throat or your vocal folds. This could include smoking, alcohol, spicy foods, and other irritating substances. Research shows that smoking can slow down your recovery, causing your voice not to return as promptly as it would without smoking.

Other irritants you may want to avoid include secondhand smoke, wood-burning fireplaces, dust, and perfumes. Be mindful of outdoor pollution as well, such as smog and air polluted by wildfires.

Check the air quality before going outside if you’re trying to recover from losing your voice. Inhaling pollution could make your condition worse. If the air quality outside is poor, you could try using an air purifier inside.

Sometimes, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) causes a lost or hoarse voice. Modifying your diet can help your voice return sooner, especially for people with GERD. These adjustments include cutting out spicy foods, caffeinated drinks, fried foods, peppermint, and chocolate.

Instead, opt for more alkaline or neutral foods like potatoes, plain broth, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and poultry. Avoid eating late at night, and try not to have anything to eat within three hours of bed. Drink plenty of water. 

Most people who lose their voice have an upper respiratory infection that eventually causes laryngitis or an inflammation of your larynx or voice box. However, you also can lose your voice if you misuse or overuse it. Yelling, singing, or talking too much can all result in a lost voice.

Having allergies or an acid reflux condition, such as GERD or laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), can also lead to voice loss.

Here are some other reasons you might lose your voice:

• Vocal nodules, polyps, and cysts 
• Vocal fold hemorrhage (bleeding due to ruptured blood vessel)
• Injury that causes vocal paralysis
• Lung, thyroid, or laryngeal (related to the larynx, or voice box) cancer
• Tumors in the skull, neck, or chest
• Lyme disease
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Parkinson’s disease
• Stroke
• Spasmodic dysphonia (involuntary spasms in the larynx)
• Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), a rare condition involving non-cancerous tumors in the respiratory tract

Whether you are a teacher, lawyer, public speaker, singer, or simply enjoy talking, caring for your vocal health is essential for using your voice regularly and communicating. Some research shows that the sound of your voice is a key component in communicating your mood and feelings with others. 

Here are some ways to care for your voice and throat and vocal health:

• Rest your voice: Consider resting your voice during the day or taking “vocal naps.” Try not to use the extremes of your vocal range, like screaming, whispering, or trying to talk in noisy environments, which can put stress on your voice. Keep your throat hydrated by drinking water, using a humidifier, and avoiding medications that dry your mucus membranes.
• Focus on diet: Limit spicy foods, which can cause stomach acid to move into the throat or esophagus and affect your voice. Focus on whole grains, fruits, and vegetables with vitamins A, E, and C. These foods can help keep the mucus membranes in your throat healthy.
• Exercise regularly: Physical activity increases your stamina, endurance, and muscle tone, which helps promote good posture and healthy breathing—both essential for voice health. It also strengthens your lungs, which can support your voice. 
• Practice good oral care: See a dentist regularly and keep your teeth, tongue, and mouth clean. Avoid using mouthwash to treat halitosis (persistent bad breath). See your healthcare provider or a dentist if you have chronic bad breath. Infections in the sinuses, tonsils, gums, or lungs can cause bad breath and require treatment.
• Learn breathing techniques: If you sing or talk a lot, supporting your voice with deep breaths keeps you from relying solely on your throat. Not using proper breathwork and speaking from your throat can stress your voice.
• Pay attention to posture: Try to eliminate anything that can cause muscle tension in your neck—for example, cradling the phone between your head and neck when talking and certain positions while watching television or working at the computer.

If you have been resting your voice, using a humidifier, and drinking plenty of water, and your voice is still not back to normal or sounds hoarse after 2-3 weeks for adults or one week for children, you should see a healthcare provider. This is especially true if you haven’t been sick with a cold, the flu, or COVID. However, you may also want to see a provider if you have severe cold symptoms. 

Also, make an appointment with a healthcare provider if you cough up blood, have a lump in your neck, or lose your voice completely. See a provider immediately if you have difficulty swallowing, pain when you speak or swallow, difficulty breathing, or drooling alongside hoarseness (especially in children).

Losing your voice, often caused by laryngitis, can be painful and uncomfortable and make communicating difficult. Rather than trying to push through it, the best thing you can do is allow your voice to rest. Avoid whispering and limit speaking as much as possible. You also can try using a humidifier, getting plenty of rest, changing your diet, and staying hydrated.

With the proper care, your voice should return within a few days to a week. See a healthcare provider if your voice doesn’t return within a couple of weeks. They can determine if a condition other than laryngitis is causing your voice loss.