STORM IN A TEACUP

This week: how they can affect your voice VOCAL cords are safe from hot drinks, as cartilage protects them. But hot drinks can burn the pharynx — the muscular tube running from the nasal cavities, behind the larynx (the voice box) and oesophagus (food pipe).

This, says John Rubin, a consultant surgeon at the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital in London, can cause a histamine reaction. Histamine is a chemical produced by immune cells in an allergic reaction. Such a reaction could thicken mucus around the vocal cords, which could affect your voice, as you may need to clear your throat constantly. ‘Vocal cords need runny mucus to function,’ says Mr Rubin. ‘If the mucus is sticky due to inflammation from the hot drink, you will need to clear your throat.’ This will last until the inflammation eases. Hot drinks can also burn the epiglottis — a flap at the back of the throat that prevents food entering the windpipe and lungs. ‘This can swell and even cause difficulty breathing because of blockage to the airways,’ says Mr Rubin.