Sore Throat Home Remedies

Sore throat or pharyngitis in medical term happens when the pharynx or the areas around the tonsils are affected by disease. You will experience dry scratchiness and painful swallowing when you have sore throat. It is usually caused by viral infection, among the most common are a cold or a flu virus. Sore throat caused by a virus will usually recover on its own. However, if it is a bacterial infection, then you may need some antibiotics to cure it. In most cases, having a sore throat is the early sign that you're becoming sick.

Sore throat can make you miserable. While waiting for it to recover, you may take some over-the-counter pain killers or try some natural home remedies to ease your pain.

Here are some effective sore throat home remedies suggested:

Warm Water-Salt Solution: Salt has therapeutic effects as it contains iodine while water helps to releases the stress in the throat. Prepare the solution by adding a bit of salt to a glass of lukewarm water to make a slightly salty solution. Gargle with it 3 to 6 times a day. You may swallow a bit of it to soothe the throat but NOT too much as excessive intake of salt is not good for the kidneys.

Apple Cider Vinegar: Mix apple cider vinegar with honey (3 tbsp each) and a pinch of turmeric powder. Take 3-4 tsp of this concoction. You may also mix the vinegar and honey with a cup of warm water and sip slowly. Your sore throat will go when you've finished the drinks.

Cayenne Pepper Solution: Cayenne pepper solution is an effective way to cure sore throat. You may add cayenne pepper to different liquids to make different types of cayenne pepper solution.

• Cayenne Pepper-Water: In a cup of water, add in 1/8 tsp of cayenne and stir well. Use it for gargling every 15 minutes. You may swallow some if you prefer. However, it may cause burning sensation to your lips and tongue. This remedy doesn't work within hours. You have to keep up the gargling once or twice a day for a few days if you have a bad sore throat.
• Cayenne Pepper-Orange Juice: Add 1/8 tsp of cayenne to a glass of orange juice with pulp. Drink it slowly. The pulp in the juice helps holding the cayenne and this will reduce the burning to your mouth.
• Cayenne Pepper-Glycerin: Mix 2 tsp of cayenne with 1 ounce of glycerin and let the concoction sits for 2 days. Then, strain it and keep in a bottle with a dropper. To cure sore throat, just apply a few drops directly into the throat.

Garlic-Ginger-Cayenne Pepper Tea: In a small pot of boiling water, put in 2-4 cloves of garlic, a few pieces of fresh ginger, a bit of cayenne pepper and a tea bag. Add some honey to the tea to taste before drinking. Drink twice a day, in the morning and afternoon.

Sugar-Onion Syrup: Take 1 tsp of the syrup 2 to 3 times daily. Sugar has the property of drawing out the infection from the throat and onions can cleanse the throat as well as open its pores.

Various Herbs Solution: You can prepare various types of solution using different types of herb and use them for gargling or drinking to relieve your sore throat.

• Goldenseal Powder: Steep 1/3 tsp of goldenseal powder in 1 cup warm water, strain and gargle. You can also prepare extra goldenseal solution and store in the refrigerator between uses.
• Holy Basil Leaves: Put basil leaves in water and bring to boil. Let it becomes warm before drinking or gargling.
• Sage Leaves: Pour 500ml of boiling water on a handful of sage leaves. When it has cooled down, add some vinegar and honey to taste. Consume 1 tsp of this solution and use the remaining for gargling. This is an effective cure for sore throat.
• Cinnamon-Pepper: Put 1 tsp of cinnamon powder and a pinch of pepper powder in a glass of water and bring to boil. Add in 2 tsp of honey. Take this as medicine for effectively treating sore throat due to a cold. You can also try mixing 3 drops of cinnamon oil with 1 tsp of honey.
• Peppermint Leaves: Put peppermint leaves in a cup and pour in hot water. You may use this concoction either for gargling or drinking. Peppermint contains the property of menthol which helps soothing your throat.
• Kantakari Plant: Put the thoroughly washed kantakari plant in 2 liters of water and boil continuously until the volume reduced to half. Filter the extract and use it as a gargle.
• Fenugreek Seeds: Put 2 tbsp of fenugreek seeds in a liter of water and simmer over a low flame for about 30 minutes. Then, let it sits until becoming cool. Strain the solution first before using it for gargling. This is beneficial for treating ordinary sore throat.

Liquorices: Chewing or sucking a small piece of raw liquorices helps in soothing inflamed throat quickly.

Yoga Position "The Lion": This yoga posture helps in the blood flow through the throat and possibly irrigated essential nutrients. It helps relieving sore throat in a few days.