Allergy Remedies for Singers

With allergy season in full swing, many people will be affected in some way. Besides getting sick, allergies are a singer's worst enemy. Here are a couple of ways to combat mother nature during the springtime.

1. Raspy/phlegmy throat: Try gargling with saltwater or baking soda and water to clear your throat up. Try using 1/4 teaspoon of salt or baking soda per cup of warm water.

2. Protecting your nose: A preventative measure some singers use is to line the inside of your nose with Vaseline. This causes the pollen to get stuck there instead of your sinus cavity or throat, causing less irritation.

3. Over the counter medication: Allergy medication (like Sudafed) can sometimes dry out your vocal chords, so be careful. I've personally used Claritin with very good results. There are others such as Singulair, which seem to yield good results. If you use a nasal spray, make sure to spray directly into your nose and not in such a way that the medicine trickles to the back of your throat.

4. Herbs: Some herbs that have been known to help with allergies are fenugreek and oregano oil. I have only read of these and never tried them myself, but if you are desperate for help, this may be the remedy.

5. Neti pot: A neti pot cleanses your sinus cavity with a salt-water solution. Every singer I've met that uses this swears by it, so try it! Search Google or Youtube for more information.

6. Dust/Mold: Is your living environment free of dust? If not, now would be a great time to do some spring-cleaning or perhaps get an air purifier. In addition, beware of mold; especially since there are more rainstorms, things tend to get more damp, thus breeding mold. Especially be careful of black mold, which is very toxic to humans.

Good luck, feel better and keep singing!