Regardless of what's causing your sore throat, you can relieve it naturally using ingredients you may already have in your kitchen, like ginger, lemons or salt.
What causes a sore throat?
A sore throat is often caused by your body’s immune response to viral or bacterial infections. A mild case can be easily ignored, but a severe sore throat can be very uncomfortable, especially when you try to swallow as the mucous membranes in your throat are inflamed and swollen.
If you have a sore throat, make sure you stay hydrated. Drinking lots of fluids will help keep your throat’s mucous membranes moist so it can recover.
Drink or sip water every hour. If swallowing is too painful, drink warm herbal teas like chamomile, echinacea, or peppermint. You can also suck on an herbal throat lozenge, which helps produce saliva and soothes your throat.
Try these five natural sore throat remedies to relieve a sore throat.
Apple cider vinegar and honey
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is often used in folk medicine and it contains acetic acid, which has beneficial antibacterial properties. Honey is another superfood used to relieve sore throat because studies have confirmed that it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and antimicrobial capacity.
Note that you shouldn't give honey to children under the age of one since it may carry bacteria, like Clostridium botulinum, which can be dangerous for babies.
To soothe a sore throat with apple cider vinegar and honey, mix one tablespoon of ACV and one tablespoon of honey or sweetener another natural sweetener like maple syrup in a cup of warm water.
If you prefer tea, add honey to the following options:
- Chamomile tea
- Clove tea
- Green tea
- Peppermint tea
- Raspberry tea
Ginger
Data has confirmed that ginger can help relieve inflammation, which is very beneficial if you have a sore throat. Many studies have also shown that ginger has antibacterial powers.
You can buy ginger tea at the grocery store or you can make tea at home using fresh ginger. (Related: Cures from nature’s medicine cabinet: Effective home remedies for pain, coughs and other common complaints.)
To make ginger tea:
- Boil four cups of water in a saucepan. Turn off the heat, add one tablespoon of grated ginger root then cover for 10 minutes.
- Stir in one tablespoon of honey (or another natural sweetener), then add a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Serve warm or cool.
Lemons
Lemons are an amazing superfood full of vitamin C and beneficial antioxidants. It also increases the amount of saliva you produce, which can then help keep your mucous membranes moist and soothe a sore throat.
Soothe a particularly scratchy throat by consuming one tablespoon of concentrated lemon juice and one tablespoon of honey just before bed. You will feel much better since the lemon and honey can help soothe your throat until you wake up the next morning.
Sage
Sage is a versatile herb often used in cooking, but this superfood also has amazing anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that can help relieve a sore throat.
To relieve your sore throat with sage, mix one teaspoon of the herb in one cup of boiling water. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Strain and gargle with the sage tea.
Salt
Salt is often used to relieve a sore throat because it can help reduce swelling. This remedy is also very easy to make since you only need salt and warm water.
To make a saltwater gargle, add one teaspoon of salt to one cup of warm water. Stir to dissolve the salt. Gargle with a mouthful of the mixture for 30 seconds. Repeat at least once per hour.
Stay hydrated and try natural remedies like ginger, sage, or salt to relieve a sore throat.
Visit FoodIsMedicine.com to learn more about other superfoods that you can use to relieve symptoms like a sore throat in a post-SHTF world.
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