Sore Throat Remedy and Strep Throat Treatment

There are loads of gargle recipes, but they have a few common ingredients like:

1. Cayenne Pepper
2. Lemon
3. Vinegar
4. Sea salt
5. Honey

Maybe one of the most effective sore throat remedy is Cayenne Pepper.

CAUTION: Cayenne pepper is a natural blood thinner, do not take it before surgery or dental treatment.

If you can not stand hot stuff, vinegar or other acidic substances like lemon are nearly as effective as pungent gargles. Strong acidic pH kills germs - which makes them effective sore throat cures.

Most common sore throat remedy is the old fashioned salt water gargle, but I suggest giving additional ingredients (e.g. cayenne pepper or crushed garlic) to the basic saline solution. It is a mild antiseptic and draws water out of mucus membranes it reduces swelling and helps to clear phlegm.

Salty Gargle:

• Concentration of the saline solution may vary, depending on the seriousness of the inflammation. For more serious sore throat use higher concentrations. You can add 1/2-1 teaspoon of sea salt to 125ml hot water (should taste like sea water) and gargle every hour if it helps.

Caution: a strong saline solution dries up your throat, do not use it for dry throat irritation.

Quick first aid is to shake a little table salt directly into your mouth to the back of your throat. Do not swallow, let the salt dissolve there. Salt draws out moisture from the cells and kills bacteria. Be aware that salt dries up mucus membranes.

If you prefer herbs, you can make a strong herbal tea and give some honey, lemon and a pinch of Cayenne pepper to it and use as a gargle.

Herbal Gargle:

• Best sore throat remedy is Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) bark or Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) root. They contain mucilage that coat the throat, ease soreness and calm inflammation. To make a tea, mix 2 teaspoons of the dried root or bark in two cups of water, bring to boil and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, strain and gargle/drink every hour.

• Old traditional recipe is to simmer 1 teaspoon marshmallow root and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger root in 250 ml water for 10 minutes in a covered pot. Remove from the heat, cover and steep for additional 10 minutes. Strain, add honey and/or lemon and/or 1/2 teaspoon of salt and gargle every 30 minutes if helps.

You may combine different substances in one gargle to make an even more effective sore throat remedy.

Homeopathic Sore Throat Remedies

I want to share a highly effective and well-proved remedy combination for the beginning of a strep throat or a really severe sore throat.
Take alternately every 2-3 hours

• Hepar sulphuris C12 and
• Belladonna C30

Sore Throat Remedy: Wild Oregano

Increasingly popular Wild Oregano (Origanum vulgare) Essential Oil is a very effective sore throat treatment. Soak a cotton swab in oil of Oregano and dab it directly on the inflamed area. You may gargle with 2-3 drops of Oregano oil in some hot water as well. Your sore throat will be gone in less then an hour.

Sore Throat Cures: Massage

Apart from using gargles an external throat massage with diluted essential oils can speed up the healing process. Add 2 drops each of Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Sandalwood (Santalum album) and Myrrh (Commiphora molmol) essential oils to 1 tbs of olive oil and massage the external neck area. Wrap a warm scarf around the neck afterwards. How pleasant sore throat cures might be...

Lozenges or Linctus

Do not forget our good old Garlic, which has an excellent antiseptic effect and has the power to cure both viral and bacterial sore throat. Garlic is great sore throat remedy. At the first sign of a sore throat, place one clove of garlic in your mouth between your cheeks and teeth and keep it for a while. Repeat it several times a day.

If you like garlic, you can eat two raw cloves each day without anything or chop finely and add to hot soup just before serving. If you do not like the smell of garlic take garlic supplements: capsules or tincture for 4-5 days.

Another sore throat treatment is to crush one clove of raw garlic and add 2 teaspoons of honey and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Take from the mixture 1 teaspoon several times a day.

A lovely old folk remedy is Baked Lemon with Olive Oil.
Take one lemon and poke some holes with a fork, put it in the oven (150-170C) and bake it until juice bubbles out the holes. Cool and squeeze the lemon put the juice in a jar and add equal amount of olive oil and some honey. Shake well. Take a small spoonful now and again.

A very nice old home remedy is Layered Onion with Honey.
Layer slices of onion or turnip with honey (or sugar) in a dish and leave overnight. Next morning pour off the liquid in a jar and take it sometimes as a lozenge for sore throat. It is an excellent cough syrup as well.

Diet tips:

Avoid cow's milk products, sugar and refined wheat foods, since they promote mucus formation.

Drink a lot of fresh Pineapple Juice, may be hot. You can even gargle the juice before swallowing.
Drink plenty of Citrus Juices diluted with water. Mix a cup of hot water with a spoonful of honey and with the juice of half a lemon. Drink it several times a day.
Drink 4-6 glasses of water each day.


Some other tips:
Run a cool-mist vaporiser or humidifier in your bedroom. Adding moisture to the air will help to prevent the lining of your throat from becoming too dry.
If you are plagued with a recurrent sore throat, buy a new toothbrush. Bacteria collect on the bristles and if you injure your gums as you brush, they can enter your system and re-infect you.

Reaching the end of Sore Throat Remedy page I hope you could find your favourite home remedies for sore throat. I wish you well.

Don't miss the details of Sore Throat Remedy and Strep Throat Treatment:

Sore and Strep Throat Compress
Especially for children a sore throat compress is often very useful. Usually after one or two treatments the sore throat has gone.