A sore throat resulting from a viral infection such as flu, cold or for other reasons like allergies, changing weather patterns, smoking or dry air can be generally treated with effective home remedies. Here are some tried and tested remedies that you can try out at home if you are undergoing any sore throat related discomforts.
Trying to keep your nasal passages clear at all times. One of the things we tend to do at a time of head cold is to breath through our mouths. This is a reflexive action as the nose passages are blocked due to congested phlegm. However, breathing through the mouth or especially if you sleep with your mouth
open can lead to a dry mouth condition triggering a sore throat conducive situation. The best home remedy for sore throat is therefore proper rest and keeping your nasal passage free of phlegm to help you breathe through them. Rest conserves the energy in your body and builds reserves to fight off the infection.
Gargling is another proven home remedy for sore throat. Some of the popular gargling choices are lukewarm salt water, turmeric, Listerine, sage and raspberry tea.
Collect two teaspoons full of dried raspberry leaves and steep them in one cup of boiling water for about ten minutes. Strain the contents and allow it to cool for a couple of minutes before gargling. This remedy is also good for controlling high temperatures.
Blend a teaspoon of turmeric powder with cup of warm water and gargle two to three times a day. You can also add a pinch of salt to the mixture for good measure. Provided you can swallow, another option is to prepare a cup of warm milk and mix half a teaspoon of turmeric powder before drinking it.
Mix some salt with warm water and gargle at least four times a day. You can use Listerine also for gargling in the same manner.
A teaspoon of sage mixed in a cup of boiling water is also an effective gargling choice for sore throats. Make sure the water is warm when you gargle. Make sure that you do not swallow any of the remedies that are intended for gargling as they might cause unwanted repercussions like vomiting. You should also remember to keep the bottle or glass you use for gargling out of reach of other members in your house.
Cayenne Pepper Gargle In the early stages of a sore throat, you can gargle with cayenne mixed with warm water every 15 minutes until it goes. You must be patient with this method. This will sting your tongue a bit when spitting it out. Try to avoid breathing through your mouth while you are gargling the mixture. To avoid harsh coughing while you are gargling, breath deeply, hold your breath, then take a sip of cayenne pepper. Gargle and spit the mixture and breath normally. When the throat and larynx are irritated, try not to swallow much of the mix.
You can get a good pesticide free mix from a good health food store. Cayenne is an excellent cure for ulcers and many other health conditions, it is also loaded with vitamins and nutrients. Tty gargling before you go to bed or when you wake up because of your sore throat.
For those who are sensitive to the spiciness, cover your lips with Vaseline before gargling. Try to keep your tongue up by the roof of your mouth when sipping. Use a clean cold wet washcloth while gargling and wipe your lips. Rinse the washcloth every time to remove the pepper. A cloth dipped in ice cube water works very good.