Ahem!

Clearing your throat can become habit forming...

Ahem. Throat clearing can be an effective way to get attention – but it can also become an annoyance – and even a habit. A cold, acid reflux, age and even stage fright can trigger throat clearing. But once our vocal chords have been roughed up – the throat clearing urge can stick around and even increase - AFTER the original trigger is gone.

One way to break the habit is to stop, think and drink – every time you have the urge to clear your throat. You’ll need to keep a bottle of water handy all the time. Another throat clearing technique is to sniff and swallow. A brisk sniff in – and a hard swallow might do the trick and will be much kinder to your vocal chords. If you MUST clear – try doing it silently, without using your voice.