Sore Throat

[Fae Oonagh]

Sore Throat Home Remedies
Sore throats, known medically as pharyngitis, are one of the most common reasons why people see a doctor. In the United States, sore throats account for more than 18 million doctor visits a year.

Although most sore throats are a symptom that a cold or flu is coming and resolve on their own in a week, it's not always the case.

The trouble with sore throats is that each swallow tends to be a painful reminder that you have a sore throat.

Some sore throats are caused by allergies, smoking, postnasal drip, yeast overgrowth and varying severities of bacterial invasion into your throat tissues. Many sore throats are caused by a mild viral infection that attacks when your resistance is low. You may need a health professional to help you determine the cause. The following signs and symptoms should alert you to see your physician:

Severe and prolonged sore throat
Difficulty breathing
Difficulty swallowing
Difficulty opening the mouth
Joint pain
Earache
Rash
Fever (over 101°)
Blood in saliva or phlegm
Frequently recurring sore throat
Lump in neck
Hoarseness lasting over two weeks
If you have a sore throat right now, think about your schedule. Chances are, you've been pushing yourself like crazy, running around and keeping later hours than usual.

If you take it easy, get a lot of rest, flush your system by drinking nondairy liquids and stay away from "heavy" foods, the remedies we suggest will be much more effective.

Natural home remedies
Add 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to a cup of warm water.
Dose: Gargle a mouthful, spit it out, then swallow a mouthful. Gargle a mouthful, spit it out, then swallow a mouthful. Keep this up until the liquid is all gone. An hour later, start all over.

Mix 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar with 1/2 cup of pineapple juice and drink it.
Dose: Repeat every half hour until there's a marked improvement.

A singer we know says this works for her every time-steep three non-herbal tea bags in a cup of just-boiled water. Leave them there until the water is as dark as it can get-almost black.
Dose: While the water is still quite hot but bearable, gargle with the tea. Do not swallow any of it. (No one needs all that caffeine.) Repeat every hour until you feel relief.

An old home remedy for sore throats. Add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, a pinch of cayenne pepper, juice of 1/4 a lemon, and 1 teaspoon of honey to a cup. Add 1 cup of hot water and stir. Drink up to 4 cups a day.
Use kava kava as a gargle for soothing and analgesic pain relief. Helps insomnia cause by coughing and sore throat.
Drink aloe vera juice twice a day to aid the healing process.
Salty Soother

Warm 1/2 cup of kosher (coarse) salt in a frying pan. Then pour the warm salt in a large, clean, white handkerchief and fold it over and over so that none of the salt can ooze out. Wrap the salted hanky around your neck and wear it that way for an hour.
This was one of our great-aunt's favorite remedies. The only problem was she would get laryngitis explaining to everyone why she was wearing that salty poultice around her neck!

Be a Sage

Next time you wake up with that sore throat feeling, add 1 teaspoon of sage to 1 cup boiling water. Steep for three to five minutes and strain.
Dose: Gargle in the morning and at bedtime. It would be wise to swallow the sage tea.

Relief from a sore throat can come from inhaling the steam of hot vinegar. Take special care while inhaling vinegar vapors or any other kind for that matter. You don't have to get too close to the source of the steam for it to be effective.
Grate 1 teaspoon of horseradish and one piece of lemon peel. To that, add 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and 2 tablespoons of honey.
Dose: Take 1 tablespoon every hour.

Act Like a Brat
We came across a beneficial exercise to do when you have a sore throat. Stick out your tongue for 30 seconds, put it back in and relax for a couple of seconds.
Then stick out your tongue again for another 30 seconds. Do it five times in a row and it will increase blood circulation, help the; healing process and make you the center of attention at the next executive board meeting.

What's a sore throat without honey and lemon? Every family has their own variation on the combination. Take the juice of a nice lemon (our family prefaces every noun with; the word nice) and mix it with 1 nice teaspoon of some nice honey.
Dose: Take it every two hours.

Add the juice from one lemon to a glass of hot water (our family drinks everything from­glass) and sweeten to taste with honey-about 1 1/2 tablespoons.
Dose: Drink one glass every four hours

Make a Tea Towel
Prepare chamomile tea. As soon as it cools enough for you to handle, soak a towel (preferably white) in the tea, wring it out and apply it to the throat. As soon as it gets cold, reheat the tea, redip the towel and reapply it. The chamomile will help draw out the soreness. and the heat will relax some of the tension built up in that area.
According to a gem therapist, yellow amber worn around the neck will protect against sore throats. If you already have a sore throat, it is said that the electric powers of this fossilized, golden resin will help cure it.
Prepare a carrot poultice with a large, grated carrot Put the poultice around your throat. On top of the poultice, apply a washcloth that has been dipped in hot water and wrung out. To keep the heat in, cover it all with a towel or wide elastic bandage. If it seems to soothe your throat, redip the washcloth in hot water as soon as it gets cold.