Home Remedies For Sore Throat

Home Remedies For Sore Throat

Licorice Root
Even if a sore throat isn’t serious enough to warrant a trip to the doctor, it’s still painful and may interfere with a good night’s sleep. Fortunately, there are a number of at-home remedies you can use to soothe the pain and irritation.

Licorice root has long been used to treat sore throats, and recent research shows it is effective when mixed with water to create a gargle solution. A 2009 study, for instance, found it soothed patients’ throats and diminished coughing after surgery.

Slippery Elm

We don’t have many studies on slippery elm, but it’s long been a traditional remedy for sore throat. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, Native Americans took it to relieve coughs and sore throats.

Slippery elm has a mucus-like substance in it. When mixed with water, this substance forms a slick gel that coats and soothes. To use, pour boiling water over powdered bark, stir, and drink. You may also find slippery elm lozenges that will help.

Saltwater gargle

Several studies have found that gargling several times a day with warm salt water can reduce swelling in the throat and loosen mucus, helping to flush out irritants or bacteria.

Doctors generally recommend dissolving half a teaspoon of salt in one cup of water. If the salty taste is too unpleasant for you, try adding a small amount of honey to sweeten the mixture slightly. (Just remember to spit the water out after gargling, rather than swallowing!)

Lozenges and sprays

Sucking on cough drops stimulates saliva production, which can help keep your throat moist. But many varieties are no more effective than hard candies, Dr. Linder says. For an added benefit, choose brands with a cooling or numbing ingredient, like menthol or eucalyptus.

Over-the-counter sprays like Chloraseptic produce an effect similar to cooling lozenges. They won't cure your sore throat or help you fight off the underlying cold, but they may help dull the pain temporarily. Chloraseptic's active ingredient, phenol, is a local antiseptic that also has antibacterial properties, Dr. Linder says.

Garlic

Yup, it sounds repulsive, and you probably don’t want to go on a dinner date right afterwards, but garlic is a natural remedy that can kick a sore throat right in it’s painfully swollen tush. The reason lies in the garlic’s allicin, a compound that can kill the bacteria that causes strep and fight the germs causing pain and irritation.

You will need…
-1 fresh clove of garlic, sliced in half

Directions
Place 1 piece of garlic in each cheek, and suck on it like a cough drop. Occasionally crush your teeth against it to release the allicin- there’s no need to actually bite it. Try this once daily.

Marshmallow

Don’t get too excited-I am referring to the herb called Marshmallow, or Marshmallow Root. It has been used with a fair amount of success for several centuries in North America and Europe as it contains mucilage, which helps coat and soothe mucus membranes in the throat.

Note that if you have diabetes, you should consult your doctor before using Marshmallow Root, as it may lower your blood sugar.

You will need…
-1 tablespoon of the dried root
-1 cup of boiling water

Directions
Put one tablespoon of dried root in a mug and pour boiling water over it. Cover and steep for 30-60 minutes before straining and drinking.

Lemon

You can use fresh lemons to get relief from a sore throat as they help remove mucus.

Try hot lemonade with honey. Mix the juice from half a lemon and one teaspoon of honey in one cup of warm water. Sip it slowly.
Another option is to gargle with freshly pressed lemon juice diluted with an equal amount of warm water.
You can also take half a lemon and sprinkle salt and pepper over it. Slowly lick the lemon.