How to deal with a bad throat

During the winters, it is very natural to develop a sore throat. It is quite common an ailment even in other seasons, like the summers or monsoons. Anyone can have it – from small kid to the adults and aged and we are all vulnerable to this painful, yet irritating condition. When it is cold, we might turn up the temperature of the heater, at our homes. This in turn dries up the air. This in turn gives way to dry nasal passages and a resultant sore throat. Even during the summers, air conditioners, especially in the humid regions, are responsible for drying out your throat. It works behind the development of the typical throat infection.

Remedies for the sore throat

To visit the doctor might not fit in your budget. Therefore before rushing in to a doctor, analyze whether the situation is that bad, or can it be mitigated with home remedies. Of course, you must not take risks where children are involved. However, in case your throat infection is not as severe as to be accompanied by fever, it can be dealt with the help of the remedies discussed here.

1. In case your sore throat is the results of too dry air at your home, use a home humidifier. It may well relieve your situation. A room humidifier is quite an inexpensive and effective remedy. While going to bed at night, put it near the bed and close the door.
2. You can always use a bottle of readily available throat spray, such as Chloraseptic. Spray it liberally at the back of your throat. It will give you temporary relief by numbing your throat. You can use clove oil sprays. They are available at all health stores around you. They would numb the pain and at the same time kill the germs that are causing the pain. Clove oil is a natural antibiotic, which has the added benefit of bringing instant relief from the pain.
3. Drugs like Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen help to reduce the swelling of inflamed tissues deep within your throat like it does for any other part of your body. You can ask your pharmacist to help you with proper dosage instructions.
4. If you are having a cold and wish to cough, do it when you feel you need to. Holding the coughing back would not help you to make situations easy. It would only increase the same.

More Remedies

1. In case the infection is critical, and is on the verge of getting you a fever, chewing a few slices of fresh, raw garlic would help. Keep on chewing them throughout the day. It is a natural antibiotic, and is effective against a wide range of bacteria and viruses, including the staph. You can keep handy sprigs of fresh parsley that would be productive to counteract the bad breath from garlic.
2. A very useful remedy is to gargle with salt water solution. Heat water in a cup. Make it as hot as your throat can take, as much as would make your throat feel comfortable. Add a teaspoon of salt in it. It works best when taken 3 to 4 times a day. It is effective any day in doing away with a bad throat quite easily.
3. Elecampane root powder is available. It is an herb put inside capsules and therefore comes in the capsule form at the local health food store near your home. It is an herb which is a respiratory tonic. It helps you to breathe freely. It also helps address your dental as well as nasal passage problems. In most of the cases, these are the root causes behind most bad throat symptoms. It does not harm to take 3 to 4 capsules, three times a day, until the pain goes away. Even if the cause of the bad throat is not due to respiratory, nasal or dental problems, taking these capsules would benefit your general health. You can continue taking it for 10 days.
4. When you are suffering from a bad throat, it becomes really difficult to get to sleep. You will keep on coughing continuously especially when you go to bed. Therefore, adults might very well go for a shot of fine brandy. While it is helpful in numbing the pain, it would give you a good night’s sleep at the same time. For kids you can replace it with a hot and boiling cup of the chamomile tea.
5. Last, but not least, goes the most important of the home remedies – the chicken soup. Scientists have tried in vain to determine the reason that has made this natural remedy work wonders. However they have not been able, till date, to bring out the reason why this motherly concoction does so well to your throat. Make a broth of chicken at home. In it, include the skin, and put some garlic in it. It would never fail. It is highly effective for throat pain, flu and colds.