Discomfort in the throat due to scratchiness, itching, or burning, which is mainly caused by a viral or bacterial infection and causes difficulty in swallowing, is called sore throat. Apart from infections, prolonged severe cough for several days, smoking, or loud shouting can also cause a sore throat. Infection or inflammation usually affects the pharynx, larynx, or tonsils. The condition is also termed tonsillitis. Though medical treatments are available for this condition, home remedies can provide relief from the symptoms of sore throat without any side effect. Let us discuss various home remedies for sore throat.
Home Remedies for Sore Throat
A number of home remedies can help treat sore throat caused by viral or bacterial infection, medical conditions such as cough or allergies, or smoking or exertion. Home remedies for sore throat have no side effects and most of them are readily available. Some best known ones include:
- Honey is the best among home remedies: Honey is an ingredient in many effective home remedies for cough and sore throat infections. Patients can consume honey directly or mix it in water or tea. A study has found that honey helps relieve nighttime cough much faster than it acts on cough during the daytime. Honey, regarded among best home remedies for healing wounds and skin dryness, leads the effective home remedies for sore throat caused due to infection, cough, or allergies.
- Warm saline water is among the easiest home remedies available: The most easily available of all home remedies to reduce swelling or scratchiness in the throat caused by tonsillitis. A solution made by adding half teaspoon of salt in warm water can be used for gargling to relieve cough or a sore throat infection. Frequent gargling can reduce irritation caused by tonsillitis.
- Lemon, honey, and hot water are the best trio among home remedies: Warm lemon-water containing honey is among easy home remedies for a cough and sore throat. Drinking the juice of half a lemon and honey according to taste in a glass of hot water is among the easiest ways to counter a sore throat.
- Licorice root as a home remedy: Licorice root is next among home remedies effective for treating symptoms of sore throat caused by bacterial or viral infection, cough, or allergies. Gargle with powdered licorice root and hot water to quickly relieve tonsillitis and cough.
- Among natural home remedies, slippery elm bark gargles provide relief: The best know traditional natural remedy for cough or a tonsillitis infection is gargling using a solution of inner bark power of slippery elm and hot water. The mucilage in slippery elm helps relieve infection or cough and eases soreness caused by prolonged cough.
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