health
Suffering from a sore throat? The cure could be hiding in your home. You! takes a look...
The colder temperatures help people think clearly, to lose weight faster and you even get to enjoy lots of comfort food. However, some pesky ailments do catch up to us at some point and one of them is a sore throat. It is common occurrence in the cold weather, but the painful, dry and scratchy feeling in the throat can be really annoying. So, if you are suffering from one, try these home remedies...
Symptoms
Pain in the throat is one of the most common symptoms. Most sore throats are caused by environmental factors like dry air. Although a sore throat can be uncomfortable, it’ll usually go away on its own. However, some of these are also cause by viral infections. Sore throats that are caused by a viral infection usually get better on their own in two to seven days, yet some causes of a sore throat need to be treated. You must call your doctor if you have any of these potentially more serious symptoms. Severe sore throat symptoms include trouble swallowing and breathing, or you feel pain when you breathe; difficulty in opening your mouth, sore joints and a fever higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
Treatment
The good thing is that most sore throats can be treated at home. Get plenty of rest to give your immune system a chance to fight the infection. Warm liquids or frozen foods feel soothing to the throat and a humidifier can moisturise a dry throat. Moreover, keep in mind that water and other fluids keep the body hydrated, which reduces the risk of infections in cold weather. One of the most important things you can do is wash your hands regularly, particularly when you are out in public.
However, regardless of the cause of your sore throat, the following at-home tips can help you ease your symptoms.
Rest and let your voice rest as well. Drink fluids as they keep the throat moist and prevent dehydration. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can dehydrate you. Try comforting foods and beverages such as warm liquids - broth, caffeine-free tea or warm water with honey - and cold treats such as ice pops. Humidify the air and use a cool-air humidifier to eliminate dry air that may further irritate your throat. You can also sit for several minutes in a steamy bathroom.
Make sure to avoid irritants. Keep your home free from cigarette smoke and cleaning products that can irritate the throat.
Lastly, consider lozenges or herbal teas. Either of these can soothe a sore throat, but don’t give them to children age 4 and younger because of choking risk.
Herbal remedies
There are plenty of herbal solutions for you as well which are quite effective. If you are pregnant, there are some caffeine-free herbal teas like green tea, chamomile tea, lemon tea with cinnamon, which may work as natural painkillers to help reduce the soreness of your throat. Otherwise, here is a list of remedies that you can try according to what suits you best.
Lemon & water: Mix one teaspoon of lemon juice in a cup of water. The astringent juice will help shrink swollen throat tissue and create a hostile (acidic) environment for viruses and bacteria. Besides soothing your throat, drinking lemon water every day can also benefit your health big time.
Ginger, honey & lemon: Mix one teaspoon each of powdered ginger and honey, 1/2 cup of hot water, and the juice of half squeezed lemon. Pour the water over the ginger, then add the lemon juice and honey, and gargle. Honey coats the throat and also has mild antibacterial properties.
Hot sauce and water: The capsicum in hot peppers helps alleviate pain and fights inflammation. Add five shakes of ground black pepper (or a few shakes of hot sauce) to a cup of hot water for sore throat relief. It’ll burn, but try this gargle every 15 minutes.
Turmeric and water: This yellow spice is a powerful antioxidant, and scientists think it has the strength to fight many serious diseases. For a sore throat remedy, mix 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a cup of hot water and gargle. An added bonus? Turmeric may even banish your belly issues!
Clove tea: Add 1 to 3 teaspoons of powdered or ground cloves to water, then mix and gargle. Cloves have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe and heal a sore throat.
Tomato juice: For temporary relief, gargle with a mixture of 1/2 cup of tomato juice and 1/2 cup of hot water, plus about 10 drops of hot pepper sauce. The antioxidant properties of lycopene may help remedy a sore throat faster.
Saltwater: Gargle with saltwater. A saltwater gargle of 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of table salt to 4 to 8 ounces of warm water can help soothe a sore throat. Gargle the solution and then spit it out.
Green tea: Green tea is known to naturally fight infections. Next time you brew a cup, make a little extra and gargle with some of this remedy to kill any bacteria your sore throat may be harbouring.