Sore throat is often a symptom of a cold. Can become chronic pharyngitis if left untreated. We present the most effective home remedies against it.
Eating and drinking becomes unpleasant, the voice scratchy: sore throat is not only an annoying affair, but can be the harbinger of more persistent diseases such as tonsillitis. You ask yourself: What helps against sore throat? We present the five most effective home remedies for sore throats and swallowing difficulties.
Sore throats are a typical – and very unpleasant – companion of the cold months and often come along with a cold. When the throat is scratchy and burning, the daily food intake is hampered by swallowing difficulties and lozenges do not bring relief, time-tested home remedies are a natural alternative. We present the top 5 most effective home remedies for sore throats and explain how you can relieve the symptoms early on.
Home remedies for sore throats: these are the 5 most effective ones
For many everyday ailments and cold symptoms such as sore throat, a trip to the pharmacy is not necessary at all. Well-tried home remedies help to relieve the discomfort in a natural way. However, if your sore throat has lasted longer than three days, you notice a purulent taste in your mouth or your lymph nodes are swollen, you should definitely see a doctor – then you could have tonsillitis.
1. Gargle solution from salt
A simple but effective method to combat a sore throat is a gargle solution made from common salt. Salt has a disinfecting effect and thus helps to kill germs and decongest irritated mucous membranes. Those who first get up the courage to gargle, despite the intense salt in the mouth, will notice relief shortly after the first application. How to make the salt solution: dissolve one teaspoon of salt in 250 milliliters of warm water. Gargle with the resulting solution for a few seconds. Those suffering from acute sore throats should use the saline solution several times a day – ideally about every two hours.
2. Hot lemon with honey
The citrus fruit is not without reason known as an absolute vitamin bomb: Just one hundred grams of raw lemon cover half the daily requirement of an adult with about 50 grams of vitamin C. In a hot drink and combined with disinfectant honey, the juice of the lemon is soothing for sore throats and other cold symptoms. To do this, simply squeeze a lemon, pour the juice into a cup and fill it with hot, no longer boiling water. Depending on taste, half a teaspoon of honey is already enough to give the drink more sweetness.
Tip: The disinfecting and decongestant effect of honey for on the go offer sucking pastilles from Manuka honey. This particular type of honey comes from New Zealand. Has been traditionally used there for centuries as a natural antibiotic.
3. Warm potato compresses
In this country, warm compresses in a wide variety of forms have traditionally been one of the typical home remedies for complaints in the throat and pharynx area. If you notice a sore throat creeping up on you, you can use warm potato compresses as a preventative measure: To do this, you'll need two types of cloth, one as an inner cloth, one as an outer cloth (linen, cotton or flannel cloths are ideal) and a towel, plus about three to four large, floury potatoes. Boil the potatoes until soft, then place them on half of the inner sheet and mash them into larger pieces – there should be no mash in the process. Then flip the outer cloth. Add it to the inner wrap. Before you put it on the neck, be sure to wait a few minutes to avoid burning and reduce the temperature of the potato wrap. Never use the poultice with the potatoes still hot!
4. Sweating cure in the bathtub
Already our grandmothers and mothers advised with colds and Co., sweat out the disease. In fact, heat has been shown to aid in recovery from an oncoming cold. Whose accompanying symptoms such as sore throat proved effective. Adding heat stimulates the mucous membranes and blood flow of the sick person, so the body increases its immune defenses. A simple variant, in order to sweat so correctly, is a hot bath. After the bath, make sure to dry yourself thoroughly and pack yourself with wool socks, sweater and Co. warm one. A bath additive with soothing herbs can also help to relieve your sore throat as aromatherapy.
5. Sage tea
Basically, you should drink as much as possible when you have a sore throat, so that your mucous membranes remain sufficiently moistened and thus swallowing difficulties are alleviated. Sage is particularly effective against pain in the throat and pharynx, as the essential oils it contains prevent germs from growing and soothe the mucous membranes. Even better than ready-made sage teas are infusions of dried sage leaves, which you can buy at the pharmacy or health food store. For a safe and tasty sage tea, steep the leaves in hot water for at least ten minutes. Drink several cups throughout the day.
What to do against sore throat? These additional measures help
In addition to the home remedies explained above, it helps to cut back on some habits when you have a sore throat and basically take it down a notch – just like when you have a cold. If you give your body a rest, it can restore its immune defenses faster.