5 Ways to Clear Phlegm and Mucous From the Singing Voice

This post helps you get started, but it’s only the beginning. What would it feel like to finally reach your vocal potential and feel an actual transformation in your voice? In my FREE 4-Day Better Voice Challenge you will instantly Sing Better and Sound Better. Walk through 8 Sequences to unlock your voice, decrease strain, anchor your sound and expand your power and resonance. Come join me and learn the methods Grammy winners and legends use to transform their voice and keep them performing at their peak!. Click here to get access.

5 Ways to Clear Phlegm and Mucous From the Singing Voice

If you find yourself constantly clearing your throat or sniffling, the first step is understanding what the root cause is. In todays blog I’ve compiled the most common issues, what could be causing them, and natural solutions to try.

Here’s a quick outline of the topics covered in today’s blog:

• General Phlegm and Mucus
• Allergies and Origins
• Laryngeal reflux
• Respiratory or Sinus infections
• Deviated septum

Let’s dive in!

1. General Phlegm and Mucus

Phelgm can be quite an issue when it comes to singing and recording.

Mucus is produced by the body as a protective fluid that helps trap and clear out germs and harmful particles. Common causes of increased mucus production include infections (like colds or flu), allergies, acid reflux, and smoking.

On a dietary level, eating too much dairy particularly milk or milky products like cottage cheese or milk-based yogurt will produce excess mucus in the throat.

It can also be a health issue such as asthma or an infection, allergies, reflux or smoking.

Here are some general ways to reduce phlegm and mucous before singing.

• Steam: Steam helps to open the nasal passages and moisturize the vocal folds and throat. Steam for 10 minutes with plain water or try 2 drops of eucalyptus essential oil to open up your airways. Breathe in through your nose and mouth.
• Hydration: Dehydration can actually cause phlegm. The body’s way of providing moisture to dry areas. So be sure to stay hydrated with half your body weight in water, broths and fresh juices. For some extra moisture try chunks of melon in your water.
• Eliminate Dairy: many people have increased phlegm from dairy products and from wheat. If you struggle with phlegm, trying eliminating these foods for a few weeks and see if you have less sniffles and phlegm!

** Note: Stay away from pharmaceuticals that dry up the mucus which come with side effects. Some singers reach for Nasonex or Mucinex, but these medications solve phlegm by drying it out which causes terrible problems for singers (basically dehydrating you!). The last thing a singer wants is dry vocal cords which cause problems with range, tone and vocal production. It’s much harder to sing when you are dry and dehydrated.

The rule of thumb for vocal health is to not sing if you have pain in your throat as this is a sign of inflammation of the vocal cords, and you can cause a vocal problem or injury.

2. Allergies and Origins

You can have an allergy to something you are eating or something in your environment that causes congestion. It’s the body’s way of protecting itself against the allergen or irritant. The mucous forms as a protective barrier from the foreign substance or irritation.

The symptoms of allergies can also come from foods or beverages you are eating that you are allergic to. Sometimes we get an intolerance when we eat too much of one food. There are tests you can take with a nutritionist to find out what you are allergic to. The usual protocol is to eliminate that food for a few weeks and see if the allergic reaction goes away. You can go through foods one by one that way on your own to do some testing.

Natural remedies for allergic symptoms:

• Homeopathy: I would try one per a week to see which one works best. Follow instructions. Homeopathy is usually 3 days on, 3 days off.
• AllergyCalm by Boiron: Learn more here.
• SinusCalm by Boiron: Learn more here.
• Histaminium by Boiron: Learn more here.
• Eliminating potential food allergens. Eating a bland diet and reintroducing foods to see if there is a reaction.
• Eliminating environmental allergens. Additionally, eliminating allergens in the environment really help. We can’t control outdoor pollutants but we can work on eliminating indoor irritants. Keeping your home clean is extremely effective at reducing or eliminating symptoms.

Keeping your home free from allergy build-up:

• Eliminate carpeting which tends to house irritants
• Get a really good air filter. It is completely worth the investment. The cleaner your home environment, the less allergic reactions you will have when you go outside. I use a Sun-Pure air filter in my bedroom and a Molekule air filter in my living room.
• Sun-Pure Air Filter: Learn more here.
• Molekule Air Filter – 1000 ft room
• Molekule Air Filter Mini – 250 ft room

3. Laryngeal Reflux

A common issue that causes phlegm that many people are not aware of. And it’s something that singers in particular struggle with. It’s called laryngeal reflux. Laryngeal reflux is similar to GERD (Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease) but often without burping up stomach acid and can remain completely silent.

Some of the telltale signs of laryngeal reflux are extra phlegm particularly in the morning as well as constant thirst and clearing the throat all the time.

Reflux causes a dry throat and vocal cords that are chafed and irritated. This results in cracks and breaks in your voice, trouble hitting high notes, and cause vocal instability and inconsistency. When you have laryngeal reflux, the body forms mucus to heal and protect the vocal cords from the irritation. The acid goes all the way up into the nasal cavity and can causes nasal and head congestion as well.

I discuss all of the details about laryngeal reflux, and how to reduce symptoms and eliminate it altogether in the Vocal Resource Library. This has helped many singers recover their voices. You can find it inside my Vocal Resource Library* here: https://caricole.com/vocal-resource-library * Use the coupon code “VRL10off” to save $10.00.

Remedies to try if you think you might have laryngeal reflux:

• Don’t eat 3 hours before bed. You can have water or tea but no food. When you eat or have a snack close to bedtime, the stomach acids wash up on the vocal cords while you are sleeping. Laying flat white you are digesting causes the stomach acids to wash up. The stomach acids wash up on the vocal folds causing irritation and burning the cords.
• Reduce acidic foods. Highly acidic foods can be the culprit. The main foods to eliminate are:
  • Marinara sauce: Sauce that sits on the stove and cooks for a while becomes highly acidic. Consuming fresh tomatoes, or even throwing fresh cherry tomatoes in to a quick stirfry is not a problem.
  • Oranges, orange juice or tangerines: Oranges turn acidic in the body. Stay away from oranges or tangerines to reduce reflux.
  • Carbonated drinks: any carbonated beverage will cause stomach acids to wash up on the vocal cords. Stay away from all carbonated drinks!
  • Fried foods: Fried foods are highly acidic. Stay away from fried foods to reduce or eliminate reflux. I had a singer who was having trouble on the road and it turns out she would treat herself to french fries and a beer post show. Once we eliminated both, she no longer lost her voice on tour!
  • Vinegar: Try replacing vinegar on your salads with lemon. Lemon turns alkaline in the body and won’t cause reflux like vinegar does!
  • Red wine: Some people have a problem with red wine.

Experiment for a week or two and see if you have less mucus. This could be an indicator that reflux is the issue.

4. Respiratory or Sinus infections

Respiratory infections are the a result of a weakened immune system, so the first thing is to strengthen your immune system and the overall health of your body. Sinus infections can linger for months or even years!

Remedies to try for sinus infections:

• Inhale Hydrogen peroxide (food grade) or Collodiol silver in a nebulizer 2x daily. 1 part HP or CS to 2 parts water. Either hydrogen peroxide or colloidal silver will both get rid of an infection pretty quickly. Inhale through a nebulizer (see my recommended nebulizer below) or spray up your nose 2-3 times a day.
• Oregano oil – inhale 3 times day. Put on sinuses and chest with carrier oil like coconut oil. Oregano oil has a very strong odor and some people don’t like this one! But it is extremely effective.
• Thyme tea – antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Remedies to try for clogged sinuses or colds:

• Acupressure points:
  • Use both thumbs to apply pressure to the inner point of each eyebrow, between the bridge of your nose and eye socket. Press for 30 seconds and release. Repeat until you feel your sinuses begin to open.
  • Try pressing the end of your nose downward 30 seconds and release. Repeat until you feel your sinuses begin to open.
• Balm: I like using a aromatic strong balm to open the sinuses. Slather it on your neck muscles and hold infrot of your nose and inhale through your nose for 5-10 minutes to open up your sinuses. Here are my favorite balms:
  • Doterra Breathe Vapor stick
  • Tiger Balm
  • Sunrider Sunbreeze Balm
  • Steam with eucalyptus oil
• Steam: You can just use hot water in a pot and place a towl over your head, or cup your hands and breathe in steam.
  • Doterra eucalyptus essential oil

If you want to reduce or eliminate your allergies, I wrote out a complete plan in my Vocal Resource Library. This plan has helped eliminate allergies for many of my students. You can find this plan to reduce allergies naturally inside my Vocal Resource Library* here: https://caricole.com/vocal-resource-library * Use the coupon code “VRL10off” to save $10.00.

5. Deviated Septum

A deviated septum is when the nasal septum is displaced to one side, making one nasal passage smaller than the other. It can cause obstruction, nosebleeds, facial pain and other symptoms. It can be caused by injury, infection or aging. Treatment may include surgery or a doctor may prescribe medications, but I prefer natural treatments that don’t come with side effects. **See #4 above.

Try this:

• To see if you have a deviated septum, close one nostril and inhale gently through the open nostril. Then try on the other nostril. If both are open it is highly unlikely that you have a deviated septum. If one nostril is significantly more closed than the other (or super stuffy on a regular basis) chances are you may have a deviated septum.
• Should you have an operation? Depends on the severity. I prefer to always try to handle things naturally before considering surgery. That said, I have been through the surgery with several students. Some felt a big difference, others not so much.
• If you do have a deviated septum but want to handle it naturally, use the remedies above to help reduce mucous and phlegm. Along with the acupressure points and acupuncture to help open up the nose. Also use the balms and essential oils listed above.

Affiliate Notice: Links on our website may result in an affiliate fee paid to us from our partners.

Medical Disclaimer: The information provided on Cari Cole’s website is informational only and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health condition or disease. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you read on our website. If you think you have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.

Join me on YouTube – where I discuss content on the blog, voice, and artist development. Feel free to leave a note or question in the comments that I can circle back to.

This post helps you get started, but it’s only the beginning. What would it feel like to finally reach your vocal potential, improve your vocal health, and feel an actual transformation in your voice in 8 weeks? Come join the thousands of singers who have already transformed their voice and vocal health with the Cole Vocal Method™. Set your voice free in only 20 minutes a day with these transformative vocal techniques found only here! Click here to find out more.

Related Posts: