Natural remedies for a sore throat

Sore throats are caused by bacterial or viral infections in the throat and tonsils. They usually accompany the common cold or the flu. If you are suffering through a sore throat, you might be tempted to head to your pharmacy and pick up some medication, but there are other ways to treat your sore throat that don’t have any unwanted side effects. Instead, you can always rely on a number of home remedies that can help relieve the symptoms of your sore throat naturally.

Honey

Honey is an excellent natural remedy for bringing quick relief to sore throats. You can either take honey on its own or you can add it to a soothing tea to speed up your recovery.

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) possesses antibacterial properties that can help fight off your infection. Its acidic nature can aid in breaking down mucus in your throat and inhibit the spread of bacteria. As soon as you feel the first tickle of a sore throat, you can gargle using a mixture of one to two tablespoons of ACV and one cup of water. Repeat this process once or twice every hour. You can also take a small sip of the solution, depending on how sensitive you are to vinegar. However, be sure to drink plenty of water in between each gargling session. (Related: Sore Throat? There Are Lots of Natural Remedies That Really Work.)

Cayenne pepper

To relieve sore throats, simply add half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to a cup of boiling water. Allow the mixture to cool down a bit, but not too much. While the mixture is still warm, you can use it as a mouth wash. You might feel a burning sensation at first, but this is to be expected. If you want, you can even add some honey to make the mixture more palatable. You can even take a small sip if you can handle the fiery taste.

Tabasco sauce

Similar to the spicy cayenne pepper, you can also make a gargle with 10 to 20 drops of Tabasco sauce mixed in a cup of warm water.

Garlic

Garlic contains a powerful compound called allicin. This organosulfer compound can help fight off infections. Garlic also possesses antibacterial properties.

Salt water

You can soothe a sore throat and reduce swelling by gargling with warm salt water. The salt water can also help kill the bacteria in your throat. Simply add half a teaspoon of salt to one cup of warm water. Gargle using this solution once every three hours.

Chamomile tea

The naturally soothing chamomile tea has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and astringent properties that make it useful for a number of medicinal purposes. Studies suggest that drinking chamomile tea or inhaling its steam can help alleviate the symptoms of colds and sore throats. It can also be used to stimulate your body’s immune system.

Pickle brine juice

If you like pickles, then pickle brine juice might be the remedy for you. You can simply heat up some of this juice. Once it is warm, you can either gargle it or take a few sips.

Peppermint oil

Peppermint possesses anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Since it also contains menthol, you can use diluted peppermint oil sprays to treat sore throats and reduce the secretion of mucus. Always mix peppermint essential oil with a carrier oil before using it. Simply add five drops of peppermint oil to one ounce of carrier oil, such as olive oil, sweet almond oil, or softened coconut oil.

If you want to learn more about natural remedies for all sorts of ailments, you can read more articles by going to Remedies.news.

Sources include:

Homeo-pathic.ESY.es

Healthline.com