As if getting sick from a virus isn’t bad enough, it’s the laryngitis that comes along with my symptoms that turns me into a total wimp. Fortunately, there are laryngitis home remedies that are both natural and effective to give me some relief from the sensation of having a frog in my throat and an inability to speak.

Laryngitis is caused by an inflammation of the part of the throat responsible for speech, usually caused by a cold virus. Laryngitis can also be caused by overuse of your voice when the muscles and throat become irritated after prolonged use. It can be accompanied by symptoms like a runny nose, sore throat, fever, and headache.

If you have laryngitis, some common-sense laryngitis home remedies can be used right away. These include:

• Limiting your speech. Don’t even whisper, as whispering can cause your already inflamed throat to get worse. While you’re resting your voice, consider resting your body as well to help you heal your symptoms.
• Avoid over-the-counter decongestants. These can cause dryness in your throat and nose that can aggravate your symptoms.
• Breathe warm, moist air or steam. You can add a couple of drops of essential oil like lavender, eucalyptus, and myrrh. These are great laryngitis home remedies because they have antibacterial properties as well as a soothing, warming effect on the body. Rosemary and peppermint essential oils added to a pot of boiling water can also help relieve laryngitis. To use steam and essential oils as home remedies for laryngitis, bring 5-6 cups of water to a boil. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, remove from heat and add 2-3 drops of your desired essential oils. Drape a clean pillow case or towel over your head, bring your head over the pot of boiling water (But not too close to avoid a steam burn!) and take a few deep breaths. Inhaling the steam deep into your throat and lungs will provide soothing relief from laryngitis and your related cold symptoms.
• Drink fluids. Keeping yourself hydrated is key to the speedy healing of laryngitis, and sucking on throat lozenges can help keep your throat coated while you recover. While honey is a great home remedy for a sore throat or a cough, eating it straight as a home remedy for laryngitis can actually irritate your throat. If you’re going to use honey as a laryngitis home remedy, use it in a cup of herbal tea.

Laryngitis Home Remedies from your Garden

Of course, our gardens are the first place I go when I need a home remedy for laryngitis.  The plants and herbs that we grow during the summer provide year-round medicine for the symptoms of colds and flu.

If your laryngitis is caused from overuse of your voice, you’ll want to try to avoid anything that might inflame your vocal cords any further. Avoid using warming herbs like cardamom, turmeric, cilantro and cumin in your cooking and your tea, as these can be pretty rough on your throat. Instead, stick with cooling, soothing herbs like rosemary, hyssop, thyme, and lavender. (Any excuse for me to make a warm batch of lavender cookies as comfort food!)

Garlic: We’ve been growing garlic since we put in our first gardens the summer after we bought our property, and while I don’t put lots of garlic in everything I cook, having some fresh, raw garlic on hand throughout the winter is essential for treating winter colds and flu. Sucking on a slice of raw garlic to kill the bacteria and viruses that cause the inflammation of laryngitis can help you recover faster. Be warned: if you have an upset stomach, you might want to skip this laryngitis home remedy and try something else.

Ginger: Although we’ve never been successful with our attempts to grow ginger in our gardens, there’s a wonderful local farm that provides us with plenty of fresh ginger through the summer. Candied ginger and ginger tea are both effective home remedies for laryngitis. Ginger tea benefits also include boosting your immune system to help you fight off whatever might be causing your symptoms, too. Sweetening your ginger tea with honey from your bees or from the local farmer’s market will provide additional soothing relief if the laryngitis is accompanied by a sore throat.

Vinegar: If you enjoy making your own vinegars, you’ll be happy to know that these make great home remedies for a number of common ailments. You can use them to make your own fire cider, or use them medicinally for sore throats and colds. Gargling with a mixture of vinegar and warm water will help kill bacteria in the mouth and throat that are causing the inflammation of laryngitis. Homemade vinegars are especially effective for this! Gargling with salt, mouthwash, and turmeric can actually irritate your throat and vocal cords even more when treating laryngitis, but using a homemade vinegar as a gentle gargling solution will help speed healing and soothe your throat.

Fire cider: Even though my husband (affectionately) refers to my homemade fire cider recipe as “onion juice,” he can’t deny that it works better than anything else we’ve tried for helping us recover quickly from colds and flu, and that includes symptoms of laryngitis. This laryngitis home remedy has to be prepared at least a month in advance, so make sure you start preparing it well before cold and flu season begins. Fire cider will not just help reduce the inflammation of laryngitis, it will also help cure a cough or other symptoms that accompany laryngitis.

With a combination of rest and your favorite laryngitis home remedies from this list, you’ll be back on your feet in no time. Do you have any favorite laryngitis home remedies that never fail? Leave a comment here and share them with us!