Soothe Away Sore Throat Pain: Holistic Options

Dry, scratchy, and even painful! We all know that discomforting feeling of waking up with a sore throat. It may be a sign of a viral or bacterial infection, allergies, dry air, or the repercussion of overusing your voice. First things first, always rule out the possibility of strep throat, acid reflux disease, or other more serious medical conditions. Then it is time to seek relief. There are conventional lozenges like Chloraseptic (menthol/benzocaine) and Sucrets (dyclonine), which contain anesthetics to numb the pain. I did notice that Sucrets now has an herbal line with menthol, pectin, vitamin C, and green tea. I always find it interesting to see how the market responds to consumer demand for more “natural” products. Many companies, such as Ricola, make pastilles with herbals and glycerol that soothe and moisturize the throat. There are also many propolis-based throat lozenges and sprays available. Propolis is a natural coating substance used by bees to seal their hives but is also known to be helpful for sore throats. Luckily, there are many simple natural remedies you can probably whip up at home to help soothe away the pain. The traditional and easiest remedies include gargling with warm salt-water (about ½ teaspoon of sea salt in a glass of warm water) and hot tea with raw honey and lemon or lime. You can also try adding ½ teaspoon of turmeric to the warm salt-water gargle. Other beneficial teas include chamomile or sage, which also has antimicrobial properties. Some other at home-tricks include sucking on a fresh clove of garlic by placing ½ of the clove in each cheek, steaming your face in a steam tent with a few drops of eucalyptus oil, or sipping on a mixture of 1 tablespoon each of raw honey and raw apple cider vinegar in warm water. I definitely find myself treating a sore throat more often than I would like and am always looking for new natural things to try. I know there are many more remedies out there and I would love to hear what you have found that works… http://theholisticoption.blogspot.com