Sore throats, whether from allergies or a cold, can really drag you down. After reading this post, you will know exactly what home remedies for a sore throat you need to use to find fast relief.
When sickness plagues your home, or allergies are in full swing, you need to use home remedies for a sore throat to find relief! Nobody likes the pain and annoyance of a sore throat, but it is something we all experience occasionally. If you are anything like me, I first look for a holistic way to bring pain relief to my family. After reading this post, you will learn all of the home remedies for a sore throat you will ever need to know.
This post is all about home remedies for a sore throat.
1. Humidifier/Steam
We have all heard of the water cycle. When you have a sore throat (or are congested) you need more moisture in the air. Thinking about the water cycle and adding more water molecules (moisture) into the air you are breathing will help to bring some relief to your throat and congestion.
You can do this two different ways.
You can take a warm shower and create steam or you could purchase a humidifier.
Both methods do the same thing but the humidifier will continue to put moisture back into the air longer.
With a humidifier, you can also add some essential oils to the water. For a sore throat, peppermint is a good one to use. If you are congested, eucalyptus is good. If you are suffering from both of those symptoms, just add both kinds of oils to a humidifier and breathe deep.
One type of humidifier I recommend is
2. Soup
Not much feels better on a sore throat than a nice cup of warm brothy soup.
It not only feels good going down your throat, but there are actual reasons why eating soup is good for you when you are sick.
First, soups usually have salt in them. The salt will help to relieve a sore throat, similar to gargling salt water.
Secondly, the heat from the soup helps to bring relief from sinus pressure which in turn causes congestion to subside. If you are eating a nutrient-dense soup, you are also getting vitamins and minerals which will help your body to get better quicker.
3. Honey and Cinnamon
Research has shown that because of honey’s medicinal properties, it can help your sore throat’s irritation as well as any inflammation that is there. When you mix honey with a little bit of cinnamon, you get a home remedy for a sore throat that is really helpful. Both honey and cinnamon are antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory remedies.
For my family, I usually put some honey into a small bowl that has a lid, mix in some cinnamon, put the lid on, and let the sick family member get a spoonful of the mixture whenever they need relief from their sore throat.
4. Hard Candies
While candies don’t usually have any healthy benefits for you, it can help to alleviate a sore throat. When you suck on a hard candy, your mouth produces more saliva which will help a dry sore throat. Peppermint candies would be the kind I recommend since peppermint has healing properties as well.
5. Garlic
Raw garlic can help with your sore throat because it has anti-septic properties. This is an effective home remedy for a sore throat especially if you have a bacterial infection. To use this, you need to crush raw garlic. By crushing the raw garlic, you release something called allicin which has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties.
You can add this crushed raw garlic to meals, bread, or just eat it raw.
6. Cold Drinks
Cold drinks are important because they can narrow the blood vessels in your throat as well as provide some numbing relief. While cold drinks won’t get rid of the underlying cause to your sore throat, it will help to decrease the pain you are experiencing.
A smoothie is a favorite in my house while we are suffering from sore throats.
7. Stay Hydrated
One of the most important things to remember when you are sick is to stay hydrated! You don’t have to just drink water though, there are teas listed below that not only keep you hydrated but they provide medicinal properties as well. You can also stay hydrated through broths from soups.
8. Echinacea and Sage
Echinacea root and sage leaf are two herbs that pair well together to help relieve pain caused by a sore throat. Echinacea can also relieve other upper respiratory infections such as a cough and fever. There are many ways to take echinacea and sage. There is a spray for your throat, capsules, or teas.
9. Chamomile Tea
Chamomile is a wonderful choice when looking at healing herbs because it coats your throat which soothes a scratchy irritated throat. A warm cup of chamomile tea will bring relief because of the chamomile, warm fluids, and hydration. You can find good quality, organic chamomile tea bags here.
10. Peppermint
Peppermint tea is another common tea to drink when you are feeling under the weather, specifically with a sore throat. Peppermint contains menthol which has a cooling and soothing effect.
11. Marshmallow Root
Marshmallow root is very effective way to bring quick relief to a sore throat. It provides a protective coating to reduce swelling as well as offer a safeguard for your mouth and throat. Just like the name suggests, this medicinal plant (marshmallow) offers this protection through it’s roots.
When you place your order from wherever you choose to purchase it from, keep in mind that it will look like sticks.
You can consume marshmallow root in a tea form, tincture, or a capsule.
12. Licorice Root
Consuming licorice Root is another way you can bring relief to your sore throat. Licorice root contains an active anti-inflammation ingredient that will bring healing to your throat. You can consume this medicinal herb through a tea, capsule/supplement, tincture, or powder. There is no known dosage for taking licorice root, but it is recommended to not consume more than 100 mg a day.
13. Saltwater Gargle
This is one of my favorite home remedies for a sore throat to use when I am sick! You simply take 1/2 teaspoon of salt (preferably a healthier salt such as Himalayan Salt….if you have never heard about the healing properties of this salt, you need to do a google search on it because it’s AMAZING and you can cook with it to bring a healthier version of table salt to your family.) and mix with 8 ounces of warm water. You want to make sure the water is warm so the salt can dissolve. Take a swig of salt water and gargle it in your throat for 15 seconds. Spit out and repeat until the water is gone. The salt eases pain, relieves inflammation, and it may kill harmful bacteria in your mouth.
14. Cayenne Pepper
Who knew that a spicy pepper could have a calming effect on a sore throat? While it seems unlikely, it really is a thing. The spiciness in cayenne pepper is derived from a compound called capcaisin which has pain relieving properties.
You can consume cayenne pepper through your regular meals (sprinkling some in soups, over eggs, egg salad), in capsule form, powder, or tincture.
15. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has a wide variety of healing benefits. You haven’t tried ACV for yourself, start here for a sore throat, but look more into all of the other healing benefits it can help you with. ACV helps do draw out an infection, fights against germs and bacteria, and helps to balance the pH balance in your body.
For a typical daily dose, you would mix 1-2 tablespoons with water and drink before or after a meal. I prefer to take it before a meal so I don’t have that taste lingering in my mouth.
16. Rest
When you feel sick, it is common for you to also feel extremely tired…and it’s for a reason. Your body needs to rest. Even if you are a parent who is always taking care of kids, you still need to find the time to rest your body. The more you can rest, the faster your body can revert back to how it normally functions.
17. Hot Toddy
A hot toddy is a warm drink (remember warm liquids are a great home remedy for a sore throat) that is mixed with all kinds of healing ingredients to bring you a lot of relief when you are sick. The main ingredients in a hot toddy are water, lemon juice, and honey. Many people add whiskey to the mix to help with congestion and other symptoms of being sick. If you don’t consume alcohol or have kids, a hot toddy works just fine without the alcohol. Here is a great site where you can find a recipe for a hot toddy.
Conclusion
There are SO many home remedies for a sore throat that you can use that truly bring healing to your body rather than just your typical over the counter medication that mask the symptoms. You have so many options to choose from to help bring relief to your sore throat.
This post was all about home remedies for a sore throat.
If you have a sore throat, you are obviously sick. Here are some other blog posts that might help you fell better quicker!
Home Remedies for a Fever
Home Remedies for an Ear Infection
Herbal Remedies for a Cough
Herbal Remedies for Constipation
Herbal Remedies for a Sinus Infection
Herbal Remedies for Headaches
