It's Cold Season, pt. 3: Mucus

Mucus is not the kind of thing that I like talking about simply because its gross.  There is a reason why the Musinex commercials spotlight ugly green monsters lounging in the lungs.  But, it is a reality that comes in greater measures to us when we have colds and sometimes it can really be problematic.

When dealing with the issue of mucus during a cold, we must first remember that mucus, in and of itself, is not bad.  In fact, you always have mucus in various places throughout your body.  It is a helpful aid in not allowing tissues to dry out, and provides protection from foreign bodies entering into the lungs through the nose and throat.  

During colds, however, mucus can be a hindrance.  It clogs your nose, coats your throat, covers your vocal folds, and irritates your lungs.  This leads to some of the major "No-no's" in the voice world: coughing and clearing your throat.  

I will write a full post on the problem of coughing and clearing your throat during a cold in another post, but first we need to address the instigator to the problems coughing and clearing creates.  

What do you do when mucus hijacks your upper-respiratory system and causes voice problems?

1. Stop taking cold medicine and allergy medication.  You might think this sounds crazy, but there is good reason to do this (if you are on any special allergy medicine, check with your doctor first).  First, cold medication and allergy medication dry out the nasopharynx. Normally, this is a good thing, but when it comes to the voice, hydration is the key.

2. Stop drinking coffee and soft drinks.  This might be even harder than #1.  Coffee is the Baptist drug of choice and God bless it!  However, coffee has a very high amount of caffeine in it.  Caffeine is a natural decongestant, which means it works against hydration.  Eliminating coffee for the duration of your cold (about 7-10 days) shouldn't be too difficult.  If it is, you have an idol on your hands and we need to have a more important discussion.  Also, though pop (yes, I am from the north) has a significantly less amount of caffeine, it still has caffeine and works against hydration.  One other problem with pop is that it is basically liquid sugar.  Sugar is an interesting chemical for the vocal folds because it actually makes the swell a bit.  So if you are already having problems with mucus on the vocal folds, sugar is only going to create less room for your folds to do what they are designed to do.  

3. Start drinking water.  The most important thing for your voice is to get hydrated.  Drink water and lots of it.  Water will help thin out the mucus naturally.  Allow for time to work on this.  Water always works from the inside of your body to the outside, meaning that water will never pass over your vocal folds (unless you are aspirating).  Rather, it goes to your stomach and is distributed to your folds later.  Many people are dehydrated generally and don't even know it.  Colds will make you more dehydrated especially if you are taking cold medication.  The rule of the thumb for hydration is called the "pee-pale."  If you pee-pale is clear - you're in the clear for hydration.  The darker it is, the more dehydrated you are.  You may have to go to the bathroom a lot when you start drinking more, but that will gradually get less.

4. Take an anti-mucusal medication.  Instead of cold medication, get an anti-mucusal medication.  Products like Robitussin, Musinex and their generics have an ingredient called guaifenesin.  Guaifenesin works to thin out your mucus, making it pass easier.  This only works, however, when you drink a lot of water with it.

5.  Get some food and some sleep.  You cold and your voice will not heal if you are weak and tired.  Make sure you are getting a proper caloric intake and a good amount of rest.  

6. Avoid coughing and clearing your throat.  This is the hardest of all, but it is so crucial not to do this.  Be looking in the near future for why this is a bad idea and what you can do instead.  

7. Get a humidifier and use it every night.  Again, the key is hydration and in these late fall/early winter months the air is very dry.  A humidifier will help.  Also, try turning off the fan in the bathroom when you shower so you can breathe in the steam from the shower.

8. Lay off dairy products for a while.  Dairy products actually increase the production of mucus and should be avoided if possible when having a cold.

Your cold is not going to last that long, but the damage done to the folds in the midst of a cold can last longer.  Take these suggestions with a grain of salt and rest up this week as you get ready to preach the Word faithfully.