I posted this in the throat spray thread and I'm reposting it here, so don't be put off by the first couple of paragraphs ... I haven't gone completely bonkers.

Hot tea with lemon or hot water with lemon and honey. And never, never, never, never any type of dairy. It causes the mucuous membranes to go haywire. There are some throat discs called, I think, Throat Discs, that I used to use when I was making my living singing, and they worked very well. And, if you are not a trained vocalist, a few voice lessons to teach you to breathe and support properly will help tremendously. And, if you are a trained vocalist, utilizing what you've learned will help tremendously. Actually, I've never had any problems with my voice (I used the Throat Discs when I had a cold and scratchy throat) so I must have he-man vocal cords. When I think of those individuals who I know have had problems with throat polyps, they were untrained vocalists and were using their vocal cords to do all the work. One more thing, I've been sneered at when I've mentioned being a "trained" vocalist, as if, in being trained one does not have a "natural" voice. That is wrong and snobbish. Anyone who is singing on a regular basis should have "some" training, if for no other reason than to learn to breathe properly and support your vocal cords, so they don't have to do "all" the work. Here's a funny story ...

I started vocal training at 16 y/o and the most used phrase was "use your diaphragm." Physiologically speaking, I knew what my diaphragm was. At about 19 (1967) and becoming sexually active (remember this was the 60's) I went to my doctor to discuss birth control. He asked me if I had ever used a diaphragm, and I said "Yes, everyday." Luckily for me, he knew me quite well and questioned me further about the "diaphragm," and I left his office with a Rx for "the pill." moonchild