Sometimes, due to changes in the weather, allergies, viral infections or simply by forcing our vocal cords when raising our natural tone of voice (laryngitis), we can suffer from a soar throat.
Modern medicine has created various solutions to numb the pain, but that may imply ingesting synthetic chemicals which we are unfamiliar with. Also, medical treatment has been specifically designed to help with bacterial infections such as the inflammations of the tonsils, uvula and epiglottis from streptococcal bacteria, making no change on the course of viral illnesses -the most common origin and cause of sore throat-.
Nowadays, we can turn to more natural solutions for such aching: the one that has proven to be the most effective counter-measure to relieve the patient’s symptoms is pouring a glass of warm tab water and sea salt, to gargle up to three times a day for a one-week period. As a replacement for the previously mentioned blend, we can use 2 table spoons of warm honey and lemon juice. The latter is usually a favorite among young children who are reluctant to taste the salt.
If you are hoping for an easier solution, you may fix a kettle of regular tea and add lemon juice and its zest (by skimming the oily rind off the surface) to contribute to eliminating the redness and inflammation of the pharynx. We can also help with the common symptoms of influenza, by boosting the clearing of the nasal cavities with eucalyptus leafs. While the water is still boiling, use the root, essential oils or supplements of ginger and cinnamon for their germicidal effect.
The days following the beginning of the treatment are essential, because there are a few habits that may decrease the efficiency of a natural remedy for sore throat: smoking, exposure to remarkably low temperatures and resting in rooms where there is no air renovation whatsoever. It is also of outmost importance, to maintain a soft diet to prevent the surface of the throat from scratching with solid food that may enhance the difficulty to swallow. Increment your daily liquids intake and discard your current toothbrush to prevent bacteria from developing between the bristles.
Keep in mind that most of these indispositions require bed rest and the least amount of human contact possible, in order to fully recover.
Another effective though, unorthodox, set of homemade remedies for this affliction would be: eating chopped garlic with every meal for at least three days, mixing warm water with whisky to prevent the area from further infection and immersing a scarf in distilled vinegar and wrapping it around the neck.
Before finishing the prescribed regime, you will need to take your body temperature every six or eight hours, check for aching of the joints, ears and neck, difficulty to breath and increasing inflammation of the throat. If the fore-mentioned symptoms appear, you will need to pay a visit to your family physician because it may have evolved into a bacterial infection which requires antibiotics.
