# I lost my voice! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 9, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-my-voice/351918 "2006-04-09T03:31:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-my-voice/351918/1 "2006-04-09T03:31:55Z")
I mean, here I sit, minding my own business, when some head cold comes along out of nowhere and attacks me from behind, and now I can’t speak. I can’t go to work, I can’t meet up with friends. I met up with **Sunspace** for coffee today, and he was sweet and charming and amazing, and I spent the better part of the hour coughing up a lung at him. Really, are there any _benefits_ to losing your voice? ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-my-voice/351918/2 "2006-04-09T04:47:34Z")
I managed to lose most of my voice on Friday. Got lucky and got it back during the tornado emergency at school. Adrenaline, I suppose, but I had to do a _lot_ of shouting. It’s taken most of today to get it back to a reasonable facsimile of a human voice. First time ever and it pisses me off to no end, especially considering we are starting comprehensive testing over the next two weeks. Pain in my ass it is. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-my-voice/351918/3 "2006-04-09T05:31:54Z")
There are no benefits to losing your voice, except that you can get out of presentation or public speaking gigs. And people will feel sorry for you and give you copious amounts of fluid to drink. Aside from that – no. Hope your voice returns from its croakiness soon, **Kythereia**. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-my-voice/351918/4 "2006-04-09T05:47:11Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > Really, are there any _benefits_ to losing your voice? It’s a good excuse not to answer the phone at work. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-my-voice/351918/5 "2006-04-09T07:00:27Z")
Just think of all the stupid things you might have said, but didn’t. Or is that just me? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-my-voice/351918/6 "2006-04-09T16:02:56Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > I mean, here I sit, minding my own business, when some head cold comes along out of nowhere and attacks me from behind, and now I can’t speak. > > I can’t go to work, I can’t meet up with friends. I met up with **Sunspace** for coffee today, and he was sweet and charming and amazing, and I spent the better part of the hour coughing up a lung at him. > > Really, are there any _benefits_ to losing your voice? Hope you feel better soon, **Kyth**. As always, it was a pleasure to meet you. Any lung-coughing-up was barely noticeable. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-my-voice/351918/7 "2006-04-09T16:10:20Z")
I’ve had several bouts with laryngitis over the past few years and am amazed that people treat you like to can’t hear. I tend to stay home, even if I’m technically over the bug because all the people who normally talk to me or at least stop to say hi suddenly start just nodding an acknowledgment and keep going. And no, it’s not because they think I’m contagious. There’s something about the interaction that completely changes. Anyhoo, quickest way to get better is not to talk at all. Hope your voice is back very soon. GT ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-my-voice/351918/8 "2006-04-09T17:58:04Z")
_SmithWife_ lost her voice, mostly. She sounds like Marge Simpson. :smile