A sore throat can be pretty unpleasant. Every single time we swallow, we are treated to so much pain and who knew we all swallowed so much anyway? If your throat is currently sore and you want to do something about it, you’re in luck! Check out these simple remedies for soothing a sore throat:
Gargle with Warm Salty Water
Mix up half a teaspoon of table salt with a glass of warm water and get gargling just like granny told you to if you want to get rid of some of the pain that tonsillitis causes. The solution will decrease swelling by drawing out moisture. It’s great for your average sore throat too because it will swill away excess mucous and help your sinuses to drain more effectively.
Gargle With Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is one of nature’s true miracle cures. It’s extremely high acidity levels can cure you of a sore throat caused by bacteria and infection in no time at all.
Have a Little Hydrogen
If you’re anything like me, you’ll have terrible memories of having hydrogen peroxide poured onto your battle wounds when you were a child, and you probably hate the stuff as a result. Well, now might be time to make nice with hydrogen because gargling with a capful of hydrogen peroxide mixed into a cup of warm water will help to kill the bacteria that’s causing your problems. Just remember not to swallow any of it!
Take Some Marshmallow Root
Sadly, soft, sticky, gooey marshmallows won’t soothe your sore throat (although they’ll certainly make you feel better) but a wonderful herb by the name of marshmallow root probably will. Marshmallow root contains mucilage – a substance that coats and soothes the throats delicate mucus membranes ensuring you have an easier time of it when you’re sick. Simply add a tablespoon of dried marshmallow root to a cup of boiling water and steep to make marshmallow root tea.
Take a Sauna
If your throat feels sore, dry and itchy, steam is the answer to your problems. If you don’t have one of those facial steam machines used for getting rid of zits, simply fill a bowl with boiling water, cover your head with a towel and take in the steam, or you could always take the chance to pop to the sauna and have a really relaxing time.
Consume Some Cayenne
Fix yourself a glass of hot water and add cayenne and honey for a soothing drink that, although it doesn’t taste that great will help you kick that sore throat in no time. It works because cayenne contains a chemical called capsaicin which is a proven pain reliever, which works in the same way as an over the counter medication like aspirin would, except you can get it to directly reach your throat by drinking it down, for increased effectiveness.
Load Up On Licorice (Root Tea)
Licorice sticks might not be the best choice of substance to relieve a sore throat, but licorice root tea is ideal. This naturally sweet tea is anti-inflammatory and anti-viral. It can reduce pain and swelling of your throat’s mucous membranes significantly, and you can buy it in most health stores for added convenience.
Have a Hot Toddy
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If you have the kind of sore throat that is caused by a cold, fix yourself a hot toddy, and you’ll feel much better when you’re done drinking. This is because both lemon and honey have antibacterial properties that will soothe your throat and the alcohol will help you to get a good night’s sleep so that you can rest and recover. To make a hot toddy, mix 2 ounces of whiskey or bourbon with a tablespoon or two of honey, 4 ounces of hot water and a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Drink Lots of Fluids
Most of you will already know that drinking lots of fluids and getting plenty of rest is a must when you have a sore throat, but so many people struggle on and don’t bother doing this that it bears repeating. Drink some of the concoctions recommended in this post, along with tea, water, and chicken soup, and spend as much time as possible in bed to feel better as soon as possible.
Suck a Garlic Clove
Not only will sucking on a garlic clove help to kill off the bacteria in your throat, thanks to its high levels of bacteria obliterating allicin, but it will also keep those pesky vampires at bay! It might sound disgusting, but it really works, and it works fast. Just don’t try it if you have a hot date.
Drink Some Baking Soda
Okay, so baking soda tastes absolutely disgusting, I’ll get that out there right now. However, it is a very powerful remedy for a number of things including acid reflux, stomach issues and, yes even sore throats. You see, baking soda is a powerful antibacterial substance, which is slightly alkaline in nature, and thus able to reduce swelling. The best way to take baking soda for throat issues is in a cup of really warm water with a pinch of salt. You’ll need about half a teaspoon of each for the remedy to be effective. I would suggest you drink it down quickly because it is really not very pleasant.
Chew on Cloves
Cloves have a long history of being used to cure all manner of ailments, particularly in the Chinese Medicine tradition, and although the jury is out on their effectiveness for a lot of things, they certainly can help to alleviate the pain of a sore throat. Chewing cloves has something of an anesthetic effect, which is why so many dentists still recommend it for tooth pain. This is because the spices contain eugenol – a natural pain killer. So chew as many cloves as you can to get the relief you need.
Get Some Ginger Down You
Ginger tastes great, and it can loosen mucus from your throat, so brew up some ginger tea and flush that illness from your body.
How do you deal with sore throats?
