 To prevent harm, Lott says to listen to your body. If there's pain in your throat or changes in your voice, step back and relax your vocal cords. Sip a warm beverage. If you're taking something to drink and you're relaxing, it's forcing you to sit back, let those muscles relax, let your voice relax, and then move on from there. For Health Minute, I'm Mandi Gaither.