As the winter months transition into spring, the lingering dry air can still have a significant impact on your voice. This dryness can lead to common issues like hoarseness, vocal fatigue, and throat irritation.

"Breathing dry air can trigger a series of voice issues, including inflammation, dehydration, and irritation of the delicate mucous membrane that lines the throat walls, vocal folds, and upper airway (trachea and bronchial tubes)," explained Edie Hapner, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, George W. Barber Jr. Foundation Endowed Professor of Otolaryngology and Co-Director of the UAB Voice Center.

Hapner provides insights on preventing and managing voice issues, emphasizing the importance of hydration and proper vocal care.

Understanding vocal effort and changes

Changes to the sound of your voice may occur when there is an increased vocal effort, requiring more muscle engagement and greater respiratory support to produce sound.

“Increased vocal effort can occur in various situations such as in loud environments where someone must talk in a louder voice, during an upper respiratory infection when the vocal folds (vocal cords) are swollen acutely due to a virus (laryngitis), or perhaps in the colder months when there is less humidity in the air and in our homes/offices and dry forced heat is used to warm our environments,” Hapner said.

Being mindful of these triggers can help prevent vocal changes and increase vocal by protecting the long-term health of your voice.

Dry air and mucus buildup

Breathing dry air can significantly affect respiratory health, leading to inflammation in the airways and increased mucus production.

“Dry air increases mucus production in the nose and reduces cilia function (the hair cells that move particles out of the nose and trachea) disrupting the crucial airway clearance needed for breathing,” Hapner explained. “It also causes dehydration of both tissue and mucus, thickening the mucus and making it harder to clear from the airway with a throat clearing or cough. When mucus sticks to the vocal folds, it can alter the voice's sound, often resulting in a ‘wet’ voice, and may trigger chronic coughing/throat clearing as the body tries to clear the throat.”

This persistent clearing can irritate the vocal folds, causing them to remain in a constant state of readiness to cough that can lead to chronic coughing/throat clearing.

The link between dry air and voice changes

While changes in voice are often linked to conditions like postnasal drip, reflux, or sinus infections, these are not usually the primary causes of voice issues.

“Breathing dry air can trigger a series of voice symptoms,” Hapner said. “If a voice change persists for more than two weeks or is accompanied by difficulty swallowing, particularly liquids, it is important to consult an ear, nose, and throat physician, also known as an otolaryngologist."

Though dry air is rarely the direct cause of voice problems, it can lead to dehydration of the mouth, throat, and vocal folds, impacting vocal health.

The role of hydration and vocal care

“Hydration is key to maintaining healthy vocal fold function,” Hapner explained. “When vocal folds become dry, they require more effort to vibrate, which can result in voice fatigue and changes in sound quality. The vocal folds vibrate around 100 times per second in a masculine voice and around 200 times per second in a feminine voice during normal conversation.”

With hundreds of thousands of vibrations each day, any additional strain can quickly lead to voice changes, vocal strain, discomfort, and voice fatigue.

Drinking adequate amounts of liquids each day and incorporating hydrating foods, such as watermelon or lettuce, can help keep the vocal folds functioning efficiently.

“While it is commonly recommended to drink eight, 8-ounce glasses of water daily, individual hydration needs vary based on factors like environmental humidity, dehydrating medications (such as diuretics for blood pressure), and physical exertion (sweating reduces hydration levels),” Hapner said.

In addition to staying hydrated, inhaling nebulized isotonic saline has been found to improve the surface hydration of the vocal folds, supporting efficient vocal function and voice production.

“Personal vaporizers use isotonic nebulized saline, but many people who cannot allocate funds for an expensive nebulizer often tell me that breathing in steam in the shower, using facial steamers, or even personal vaporizers can be helpful,” Hapner added.

Nasal saline rinses are another effective way to reduce swollen mucous membranes that cause nasal congestion. Since nasal congestion can alter voice quality—making it sound hyponasal (stuffy)—and increase vocal strain, keeping nasal passages clear is important for vocal health.

“Dry mucous membranes in the throat can also lead to persistent coughing, which strains the vocal folds,” Hapner said. “When trying to relieve a dry throat, avoid menthol-based cough drops, as they can be dehydrating and worsen the problem. Instead, consider using glycerin-based throat lozenges, or opt for tart candies to stimulate saliva production and keep the throat moist.”