Postnasal drip can be a singer’s nightmare. Whether it’s caused by allergies or a bad cold, it can leave the vocal cords swollen, which can limit your range and make your voice more prone to injury. Find out what you can do at home to combat postnasal drip and when you should consider seeing a doctor.

Use a nasal rinse

Many singers use neti pots, but I have several options that I like even better.

The Navage Nasal Care Saline Nasal Irrigation kit cleans out the nasal passages by loosening and removing debris, allergens, and mucus. However, unlike a neti pot, this small handheld machine uses suction to clean out the nasal passages.

If you hate the feeling of salt water up your nose, you'll want to trade in your neti pot! This devine does the job better and gets it done more quickly!

Also, the suction is especially helpful to those with smaller nasal passages or those who are prone to recurring sinus infections.

The NeilMed Sinus Rinse kit comes with squeeze bottle and small packets of salt. You dissolve the salt in warm distilled water, squirt it up one nostril, and it flows out the other. Repeat on the opposite side.

The bottle gently squirts a stream of solution into the nostril allowing it to pass through quickly. It is more efficient than a neti pot, but not quite as advanced as the Navage.

Use a nasal spray

Your physician may recommend a steroid nasal spray (Nasonex, prescription only) or (Flonase or Nasacort, both over the counter). Steroid sprays work by reducing inflammation in the nose. They are safe for the vocal cords, as they are non-drying.

If you'd prefer a natural alternative, try Simply Saline. It will help thin out nasal mucus, although it will not flush out the nasal passages as well as a saline nasal rinse can. However, it is a good alternative for people who strongly dislike nasal rinses.

Avoid antihistamines

Antihistamines are generally considered a first line treatment for allergies, and they are used in many allergy pills and nasal sprays. (In sprays, they are sometimes combined with corticosteroids.) However, antihistamines are drying and can therefore pose problem for singers. (Dry vocal cords are particularly prone to injury.) For that reason, singers may be better off using steroid sprays or getting immunotherapy (allergy shots or sublingual drops). 

Seek treatment

If you are having vocal trouble and you think you may have allergies, seek advice from an ENT who can examine your vocal cords and see how allergies may be affecting them. (See my post on finding a voice doctor.)

Please do not assume that allergies will resolve on their own, and do not attempt to sing through them if they affect the quality of your sound. It may simply not be possible for you to improve your voice until your allergies are under control. If your vocal cords are swollen, you may end up straining to produce sound. These bad habits can be difficult to correct even after your voice is healthy. So get your allergies treated before bad habits set in!

If you think postnasal drip is negatively affecting your speaking voice, considering signing up for my online course Strengthening Your Speaking Voice.

Disclaimer: This blog post does not constitute medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment, or services. It simply provides general information for educational purposes only. This information is not a substitute for medical or professional care, and you should not consider it a substitute for a consultation with a physician or other healthcare provider.