A sore throat (also known as pharyngitis or tonsillitis) is a disease primarily located in throat around the tonsils.
You will find causes and home remedies of sore throat on this page.
Sore throats can be caused due to many reasons.
- Infections due to either by viruses or bacteria.
Virus infection leads to flu, the common cold, and mononucleosis with a stuffy, runny nose, sneezing, and body aches.
The virus infection has no antibiotic treatment as viruses do not respond to antibiotics. The viruses are destroyed when our body builds antibodies. This takes about a week.
You can use the following remedies if you have a mild sore throat associated with cold or flu or running nose symptoms.
- Increase your liquid intake and make sure your house is humidified properly.
- Recipe for Salt Water Gargle: Add 1/2 teaspoon of table salt to 1 glass of warm water and gargle several times a day. This remedy works very good for sore throat and also act as a salt water sore tooth remedy. It is better to do salt-water gargle in the morning and evening to prevent sore throat and tooth.
- Drink a glass of hot water with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and some honey. You'll get quick relief and will feel better instantly. You can also drink a chamomile tea with lemon and honey added.
- Cut a lemon into 2 pieces. Take one piece and put some salt and black pepper on it, press with a knife so that salt-pepper penetrate into the lime. Put the lemon on heat to make it warm. Slowly lick this lemon squeezing it until no juice remains. Do it 2-3 times a day.
- Gargles with tamarind (Imli) water may be beneficial.
- Chives and scallions are helpful for a sore throat when simmered in water for 5 minutes. Drink as a tea.
- Figs, beets are beneficial in sore throat.
- Eat garlic. Garlic is an anti-septic and good for many conditions.
- Take over-the-self pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Motrin IB®, Advil®).
- Use commonsense hygeine.
Once you get rid of the sore throat, change your toothbrush, wash your towel, handkerchief, other clothes.
You should consult your Doctor in the following conditions:
- Severe and prolonged or frequently recurring sore throat.
- Severe sore throat if it does not go in 7 days.
- Difficulty breathing, swallowing, opening the mouth.
- Fever over 101°F.
- If there is puss in tonsillitis.
- Blood in saliva.
- Earache.
- Lump in neck.