I’ve heard that piping hot or ice cold drinks are bad for the voice. True or false?
In our opinion, from a medical and physiological perspective, the temperature of the liquid does not affect the vibratory behavior of the vocal folds or shaping of the sound. (Of course, the exception would be liquid that is so hot it burns the mouth and throat!) Food and drink do not touch the vocal folds. (If they do, by mistake, the result is violent coughing.) However, temperature is a matter of individual preference. Some people may find that swallowing warm liquids (and enjoying the accompanying steam) is soothing to the throat and helps relieve some of the ache and discomfort that can accompany muscle tension/misuse dysphonia. Others find that very cold liquids tend to produce a sensation of tension in the throat. But in general, temperature of food and drink does not influence the voice of most people.
