1. Chrysanthemum tea
It is antiviral in nature so drinking the tea can help to relieve your head congestion problems which are usually viral infections.
Chrysanthemum tea is a warm, herbal beverage prepared from dried chrysanthemum flowers. This tea has a delicate, slightly floral aroma and a light, refreshing taste.
To prepare the tea, you can ask for dried chrysanthemum flowers from local Chinese herbal stores and brew it in hot water. A few glasses every few hours daily would help soothe the itchy throat.
2. Turmeric or kunyit
Another great remedy for a sore throat is turmeric, which has powerful antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Try any of these recipes with turmeric to cure your sore throat:- Mix one-quarter teaspoon of turmeric powder into a glass of warm water. Drink it slowly in the morning on an empty stomach. Do this once daily for three or four days.-
Alternatively, you can add one teaspoon of turmeric powder and one teaspoon of ground black pepper to a glass of warm milk and drink it before going to bed.- You can also gargle with turmeric to soothe a bad throat. Add one-half teaspoon of turmeric powder and one-half teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water and mix it well. Gargle with this mixture twice daily.
3. Honey
Honey has antibacterial properties, which can fight the infection and speed up the healing process. It also works like a hypertonic osmotic, which means that it helps draw water out of inflamed tissue and thus reduces swelling.
Add one to two tablespoons of honey to one cup of hot water and drink it several times a day. You can also add honey to your favorite cup of herbal tea. Before going to bed, eat one teaspoon of honey as it will give you soothing relief and help you sleep.
4. Salt water mixture
Try grandma’s sore throat remedy by mixing 1/4 teaspoon salt in 1 cup warm water. (Use the hottest water you can comfortably tolerate. Cold gargles are ineffective.) If you have it, add 1 tablespoon of Listerine for germ-killing power. The briny solution helps rinse away and neutralize acids in the throat, relieving the burning sensation and promoting fast healing of irritated mucous membranes.
Note: Mix a fresh batch of gargle for every use. Also, do not swallow the gargle; spit it out.
5. Clove tea
Cloves have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe and heal a sore throat.
Add 1 to 3 teaspoons of powdered or ground cloves to water, then mix and gargle.
6. Cinnamon milk
Cinnamaldehyde, the main active component of cinnamon, may help fight various kinds of infection.
You will need:Ingredients:
8 ounces of milk
1/8 tsp of baking soda
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of honey
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
Directions:
– Mix cinnamon, sugar and baking soda in a small saucepan and add milk and heat it over a medium flame.
– Allow to cool and add honey to sweeten and drink the concoction warm daily.
7. Ginger, honey and lemon drink
This home remedy mixes 1 teaspoon each of powdered ginger and honey, 1/2 cup of hot water, and the juice of 1/2 squeezed lemon. Pour the water over the ginger, then add the lemon juice and honey, and gargle. Honey coats the throat and also has antibacterial properties and lemon is high in vitamin C, which keeps the immune system strong and neutralizes the free radicals in your body. Ginger on the other hand, is great to sweat out the toxins in your body, which is helpful when you have a cold or flu.
8. Garlic
Garlic has antibacterial and antiseptic properties along with other medicinal properties that can help treat or prevent sore throats.
Eat a raw garlic clove daily to release the chemical known as allicin that helps kill the bacteria may be causing the sore throat.
Alternatively, you can use garlic oil. Add a few drops of garlic oil to one-fourth cup of water and gargle with it once daily.
9. Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a popular as a remedy for sore throats from colds or strep throat infections. The antibacterial properties of vinegar can help neutralize infections in the throat that cause pain.
Simply add 1 to 2 tsp. of apple cider vinegar to a cup or two of warm water and stir. Sip the drink gradually one to three times a day. The strength of this mixture may be tailored to suit your tolerance. Generally, a higher vinegar concentration will treat symptoms more effectively.
10. Hot sauce and water
For a spicy gargle, add 10-20 drops of Tabasco sauce to a glass of water. Tabasco is made from hot chilies so it works like capsaicin and it also has antiviral properties.
Don’t swallow the gargle as it may irritate your stomach.
11. Baking soda
Baking soda is often times touted as a simple, straightforward, and effective home remedy for sore throats. The reason? Baking soda has antibacterial properties, which could help to kill off the bacteria camping out in your throat. It also has a slightly Alkaline PH-this soothes minor skin irritations such as bug bites and rashes, and it will act similarly on the swollen tissues in your throat.
You will need:
-1 cup of very warm water
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon or a little less baking soda
Directions
Heat the water until it is very warm, but not so warm that you cant drink it. Mix in teaspoon of salt and teaspoon or a little less baking soda, stir, and test the temperature. Pour some of the liquid into your throat, let it sit for a moment, then gargle. Do this twice in a row 3 times daily.
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