Last Updated on January 10, 2022 by Marie Bautista
Countdown to 2022!
2021 is almost over and I still haven’t put out a single post.
I have lots of reasons and excuses (too many to mention, hehe), but one of my biggest reason is that I got sick again.
And the epic thing was I.LOST.MY.VOICE.
Seriously.
No word or sound came out of me, just a hoarse croak maybe, and my kids were rejoicing, by the way.
Now, like I told you guys before, this is sort of a yearly thing for me, although it usually comes near the end of the year.
And the worst thing? I was transferred – back to my old job four years ago – and people there might have thought I was a dork, because I can only smile (now I know how Ariel in Little Mermaid might have felt).
Why do we lose our voice?
Lost voice, or laryngitis is an inflammation of the voice box. The vocal cords get inflamed and swollen, leading to a hoarse voice until all you can do is make those weird croaking sounds.
Laryngitis can be caused by infections which may be viral or bacterial in origin such as:
- upper respiratory tract infection
- bronchitis
- cold
- pneumonia
- Chemicals, pollution, smoke and other irritants can also trigger hoarseness in your voice.
How do we commonly recover lost voice?
Stop Talking or Making Sounds.
As soon as you feel you can’t talk well, stop talking.
Don’t ever attempt to shout or sing.
Don’t even try to whisper because whispering will make things worse for your vocal cords.
If you can, try to avoid clearing your throat and if you cough, try to cough in a small “ehem-ehem”, lady-like way .
Experts say that when you force yourself to make sounds or even cough when your vocal folds are already swollen and inflamed, you are increasing the inflammation of your vocal cords.
Drink plenty of water.
Your throat gets extremely dry when you have laryngitis. Drinking water moistens your vocal cords.
I drank warm teas and one of my favorites is this ginger tea.)
Ginger is said to soothe the mucus membranes surrounding the voice box. Aside from that, studies suggest that is an anti-inflammatory.
Stay away from coffee if you can. Caffeine can be dehydrating and can make your voice worse.
Drink apple cider vinegar and honey.
Mixing apple cider vinegar and honey in warm water soothed my throat on those days when I cannot talk. Apple cider vinegar reportedly has anti-microbial properties making it a must-have to fight those voice-stealing microbes while honey soothes the throat and helps reduce inflammation.
So how long did I have sore throat?
Okay. Since I am one of those people who tend to obsess about things that may go wrong, I have visions of not having my voice back forever in my mind.
I even thought I might have some deadly disease because, heck, five days after doing all those remedies I mentioned above plus drinking methylprednisolone once a day for five days (as prescribed by my doctor), I still have no voice.
I was tired of smiling and pointing at my mouth and throat while mouthing a silent “I have no voice.” when people see me.
I was tired of trying to rest and sleep hoping that when I wake up, I will magically get my voice back.
I was tired of not talking!
So, anyway, I was over at the mall and saw a friend. She told me to try Pei Pa Koa .
I was supposed to say “PeyPa what?” until she told me that this is some Chinese cough medicine. Candies and lozenges are also available.
I don’t know if it was about time my body gets to be healed (it has been five days after all), but after a few hours of drinking a tablespoon of the Pei Pa Koa cough syrup and eating the Ming’s Pei Pa Koa Candy, my voice was not a croak anymore.Oh, it was still hoarse, but it was back! My voice was sooo back (I can’t still sing Flashlight, though hehe).
So, what’s with Pei Pa Koa to heal my lost voice where other meds and solutions failed???
I am not so sure…It is like magic, I swear!(and I heard singer Jason Mraz swears by it, too).
So, what is Pei Pa koa?
Pei Pa Koa apparently has been around for years. Maybe, my mom let me take it when I was a kid and had bouts of asthma. When I tasted Pei Pa Koa, which was surprisingly sweet (I was expecting a strepsils/cough syrupy kind of taste), I sort of wondered if it will work.
Pei Pa Koa comes from natural fruits and herbs which relieve respiratory ailments like coughs and sore throat. It has no alcohol, chemicals, artificial sweeteners, additives and food coloring. It is completely natural.
Ingredients :
Fritillary (Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae, Bulb), Liquorice (Radix Et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae, Root), Loquat (Folium Eriobotryae, Leaf), Pummelo (Exocarpium Citri Grandis, Exocarp), Coltsfoot (Flos Farfarae, Flower), Thinleaf Milkwort (Radix Polygalae, Root), Platycodon (Radix Platycodonis, Root), Mentholum (Menthol) (Peppermint Oil), Fourleaf Ladybell (Radix Adenophorae, Root), Indian Bread (Poria, Sclerotium), Pinella (Rhizoma Pinelliae Praeparatum, Tuber), Snakegourd (Semen Trichosanthis, Seed), Fresh Ginger (Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens, Root), Bitter Apricot (Semen Armeniacae Amarum, Seed), Chinese Mangoliavine (Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis, Fruit).
Honey
Why does it work?
- Licorice is a hormone herb that invigorates circulation.
- Honey is a potent antiseptic that coats inflamed areas Dandelion is rich in potassium, inhibits bacteria growth, and reduces swelling.
- Coltsfoot is an expectorant tonic and has many properties that help relieve stubborn dry coughs due to colds and flu.
- Loquat comes from the Kumquat family, it moistens the lungs and helps healing. Senega relaxes the respiratory muscles.
- Mandarin Orange is an abundant source of Vitamin A and C.
I heard a lot of good things about Pei Pa Koa. My favorite singer, Lea Salonga, swears by it. Kahit wala akong problema sa throat, I cannot sing Flashlight. hehehe #iamsintunado Good to know you are okay now, Marie
I think my son will rejoice too if I will lost my voice. hehehe! A popular celebrity also experienced that last year, hirap na hirap tuloy maghost. 🙂
That's one of the things that I dread having, I don't like losing my voice, especially when I need to commute. It's nice that you found some useful stuff to help you!
Will definitely try Pei Pa Koa when I got voice issue (I wish not to have issues tho)and thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing this tip though I haven't experienced losing my voice.
There was also one time I welcomed the new year while my kids and I were sick. It was not a pleasant feeling indeed. Good thing Pei Pa Koa worked for you. I always have one bottle at home, and sometimes, I doubt it's efficacy. But, maybe it depends on the person.
Sorry to hear about your voice. Get well soon dear!
Apple cider vinegar, ginger and honey is very effective on me. Simula palang na makaramdam ako sore throat, iinom na ko agad. Ang bilis ng effect 🙂
This is just what I need. After parties or events (cause I do hosting), I immediately get a sore throat and I eventually lose my voice. While I drink apple cider vinger and water too, I think I'd like to try that Pei Pa thingamajig too! Haha! Thank you.
Thank GOD for this post. I will search for this one in our local chinese drug store. My MM is fond in singing, and even shouting, ayun she tld she is like Princess Ariel lols… Thanks again Sis! Hope okey din to sa mga kids..
Will definetly try that Sis if ever I lose my voice. It work like magic! I'm so glad that your voice is back na. Thanks for all the tips,:)
http://www.sweetcuisinera.com
I experienced this one before as in no voice, I use bactidol and salabat
I have tired that before.. and it does work beter then western medication. Another more effective one would to try Luo Han Guo. It normally comes in ball like fruit which you boil. But recently it also is in those capsules which you just need to dissolve in hot water like Milo/ Olvatine.
Oh, I'm going to keep this in mind, especially since this voice loss is turning out to be a yearly thing for me…
I love Pei Pa Koa. I always have it in my desk just in case my throat gets itchy.
right now literally I have a sore throat and I used Ginger the natural. nilalaga ko at yon ang iniinom ko. Hay ang hirap pag may sore throat plus ubo.
Ive been suffering from pharyngitis for 5 days now. I would like to ask if this would help. I'll appreciate your feedback.
This one is magic, I swear. I have used Kamillosan (you spray it on your throat) and it barely worked. My voice is just a squeak. Hours after using just the candy ha, i sort of had my voice na. ambilis. I also got the syrup. It is like melted candy (soo sticky) and i think it is best if you mix it with something warm like your coffee or tea
i think sometimes you just need to take a rest. not only that our voice box gets tired too but our jaws and other muscles would also appreciate some loving as well 🙂
I'll remember this sis, and will tell my friends as well. 🙂
Haven't heard of this product before but will surely consider if a family member will have this. Though those are really graet tips!
I should stock up on Pei pa kua for my office. we keep losing people to LOA for pharyngitis, laryngitis, or loss of voice.
Pei Pa Koa is very effective. My 12 year old son had a cough that lasted for a few weeks. The doctor prescribed antibiotics ( Clarithromycin- very expensive!!!), Salbutamol and Anti histamines. None of these meds worked for my son. After 7 days of taking antibiotics he did not get any better. It cost me more than 2K for his meds but his condition did not improve. So I tried Pei Pa Koa which only cost PHP285. And it was AMAZING!!! There is an immediate effect after taking it. Thank you so much to the Chinese healer who created this herbal medicine for cough 🙂