The remedies suggested below are not guaranteed paths to curing your sore throat. However, they have the benefit of being natural and they will bring you some comfort.
A number of the recipes are definitely first choice solutions for youngsters, kids and grandkids.
Gargling the prepared solutions is the optimum recommendation. If symptoms are not alleviated after a day in bed, a visit to the family doctor is recommended. However, even she/he may advise bed and rest for a couple of days. The addition of gargling will only help.
Here are a dozen gargling recipes to help fight those ‘dirty little germs.’
SALT and WATER
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup hot water
(as hot as you can comfortably tolerate)
1 tbls Listerine (optional)
Gargle for about a minute and spit out the solution. [ Discard the leftover solution and a new batch for each gargling. ] Recommend you do this 2-3 times a day.
LEMON and WATER
1 teaspon fresh lemon juice
1 cup water
Gargle with this solution 2 – 3 times a day. Discard any gargling solution by spitting it out. Cellophane cover unfinished solution for the next gargling.
GINGER, HONEY and LEMON
[ to relieve a sore throat ]
1 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. honey
½ fresh lemon juice
½ cup hot water
Gargle 2-3 times a day. Discard used solution. Best to make a fresh solution for each use.
HOT SAUCE and WATER
4-6 drops Tabasco sauce or Frank’s HOT Sauce
1 cup hot water
This gargling solution will burn but it helps reduce the bacteria in the throat. Try doing this 4-5 times in a day.
TUMERIC and WATER
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. salt
1 cup hot water
Gargle and discard. Do this 3-5 times a day.
CLOVE Tea
1-3 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup water (room temperature)
Gargle and discard the solution 3-5 times a day. The gargling will soothe and help heal your sore throat.
TOMATO JUICE, WATER and HOT PEPPER SAUCE
½ cup tomato juice
½ cup hot water
8-10 drops hot pepper sauce
Gargle and discard the solution 3-5 times a day. The antioxidant properties of the tomato juice may help remedy the sore throat faster than the natural way.
GREEN Tea
Gargle with room temperature green tea 4-5 times a day. Green tea naturally fights bacteria and it will kill bacteria in your sore throat.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR and SALT
1 tblsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup of warm water
Gargle with this solution several times a day as needed. The acidic coating created by the solution will help kill the germs in the throat.
ECHNACEA and WATER
2 tsp. tincture of echnacea
1 cup water
Gargle 3-4 times daily. The herbal virus killing power of echinacea boosts your own immune system helping heal your sore throat.
MYRRH and WATER
3-4 drops myrrh
1 cup of water
The healing process may be speeded up with with myrrh (a few drops of tincture of myrrh in a cup of water). Highly astringent, myrrh combats inflammation as well as acting as an antiseptic. Gargle six times a day—a bit of an effort, but well worth it.
LICORICE WATER
1 tsp. licorice syrup or powder
1 cup water
Gargle and discard, 3-4 times a day.
Licorice root can soothe a sore throat as well as eliminating cough-inducing phlegm.
RASPBERRY TEA
2 tsp. dried raspberry tea leaves
Make a tea with the raspberry leaves. Steep for 10 minutes. Strain and cool. Gargle with the solution 3-5 times a day.
This old home remedy is believed to treat everything from flu to open wounds. One recipe calls for pouring 1 cup of boiling water over 2 teaspoons of dried tea leaves. Steep for 10 minutes, then strain and let cool a bit. Gargle while warm.
Source: Readers Digest Magazine
