8 Natural Sore Throat Treatments and Remedies
Uh oh. You feel that little tickle in the back of your throat. You want to deny it. It’s nothing, really, it’ll go away after a cup of tea. But it doesn’t. By the end of the day you have to admit, you’ve got a full-on, hurts-to-swallow sore throat.
Don’t rush for the antibiotics just yet; most sore throats are caused by the flu or common cold, which are viruses and won’t respond to antibiotics. Sometimes your sore throat might simply be a symptom of mouth breathing, sudden changes in the weather or air that’s too dry.
Of course, strep throat, caused by bacteria, is always a possibility too. If a severe sore throat persists for more than a few days, there’s white pus on your tonsils or you have a fever, you should seek medical attention. Otherwise, try these tips:
The old standard: gargle with warm salt water (1 tsp salt dissolved in one glass of water) at least a few times a day.
Try using a humidifier if you suspect dry air may be the culprit.
As with any condition signifying an imbalance in your body, rest and drink plenty of water (acidic drinks like orange juice can cause more pain).
Avoid fried or cold foods, too-cold drinks and anything sour. These can aggravate a sore throat.
Suck on throat lozenges. Try St. Claire’s Organic Throat Soothers, or anything with zinc or slippery elm, which is soothing to a scratchy throat.
A folk remedy worth trying is to gargle with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in a glass of water. Repeat a few times a day. The acidity of the vinegar will help to kill bacteria, if your infection is in fact bacterial.
Avoid dairy products, which can cause excess mucus in your throat. Drink licorice tea to clear up any mucus you may have.
Apply a warm heating pad or compress to your throat to help relieve pain.
Use the silent treatment. Avoid straining your throat by talking too much, especially talking loudly.
Let us know if there are other sore throat remedies that have worked for you.
Images: chaparral, nate steiner, easement, blmurch, Jake Spurlock, partycja, tambako the jaguar, Ross C., billaday,
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
Best Natural Remedies for the Most Common Aches, Pains and Health Complaints
XHello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic. Is the economy beating you
Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar (and a DIY recipe!)
XHello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic. Just like my own mother
Bladder Blues? Natural Remedies for Healing a UTI
XHello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic. If you’re like me and
The Best Way to Stop a Cold Sore
XHello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic. Until last week, when I
|
Bookmark |
3 Comments
February 26th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
You forgot honey! A peer reviewed study last year showed that it’s equally as soothing as over the counter cough suppressants, without any side effects.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
I’m a singer for most of my life and I love finding new natural remedies to physical ailments! I gave up soda a long time ago to protect my vocal cords. New information is so fun to find. It so much better for your body if you use the natural things of this earth. Thanks for the great info!
Who Linked To This Post?
Welcome! The comment box is all yours to say what you like. Just make sure you use a real name, not a site or company, so you don't get sent to the spam bin. (That makes us sad.)