Having a sore throat can be a real downer. Not only does it make you feel miserable, but it can seriously affect your ability to speak which can cause major issues - both at work and at home. Before we look at some of the sore throat remedies that are available, let's get an understanding of what a sore throat actually is.
A sore throat can be caused by either a bacterial infection or by a virus. This is quite an important distinction to make from the point of view of treatment. The infection can be present by itself or it may be part of a wider range of symptoms from a condition such as glandular fever.
Most of us will be familiar with the symptoms of a sore throat, which include pain and difficulty in swallowing. The tonsils maybe swollen and some people will be able to feel the (lymph) glands in their neck are swollen. This swelling is part of the body's natural defense system for fighting infection.
The way that we usually get a sore throat is by inhaling the bacteria or virus that causes the infection. It is common for these germs to be present in microscopic droplets in the air, such as when a person sneezes. It is also possible to pick up the infection if you touch your nose or mouth after touching an object shared with another person with the condition. Once you've been infected, it can take between two to four days before any symptoms are visible.
Natural treatments for sore throats are varied. At-home remedies include gargling with various items. Warm salty water as a gargle or powdered cayenne pepper with water have long been used to make a gargle for a sore throat, while food-grade hydrogen peroxide (found in the first aid section in a grocery store) has been proven to kill bacteria. While gargles have not been proven to cure the problem, they do ease the pain and as stated may help kill the bacteria that are causing the sore throat.
Sipping warm water with honey and lemon added has long been a favorite natural cure for people with sore throats. Honey has antiseptic properties and the Vitamin C in the lemon juice may help the body's immune system fight the infection. Sore throat lozenges are also often formulated with anti-bacterial agents (such as eucalyptus, honey and lemon) to fight infection. Some also have mild analgesic (pain-killing) properties. In this cold and flu season - it helps to know that we already have natural items in our homes that will help ease the pain of a sore throat.
Welcome to Healthy Living!
Most of us want to live a healthier life, but it is sometimes a daunting task trying to sift through the often-conflicting information we are given, in an effort to find what will work for us. We have all heard the ongoing debate about whether low-carb diets are healthy or bad for us and the varied opinions about which carbs we should be eating. There is the accepted opinion that coffee/caffeine has a harmful effect on your life and then the newer opinion that it is actually beneficial. The same is true for alcohol - red wine to be specific - does it kill brain cells or does is that negated due to the positive, healthy effects it seems to have on the heart? These debates are only the tip of the iceberg . . .
While the previous issues address what we should and shouldn't be eating, there is also the question of what to do if we have developed some ill effects (not feeling well, no energy, weight gain, disease) and want to reverse them. There are so many possible solutions. Do we fast - and if so what kind of fast (juice, water, fruit)? Do we need to detox? If so - how? Herbal cleanses, colonics, saunas, body wraps, sea water baths, Epsom salt baths? What herbs will help heal our bodies and in what quantities? And what about the alternative therapies: massage, Reiki, bio-feedback, hypnotherapy, meditation, light therapy, aromatherapy (to name only a few!)? Which of these would help us in our particular situation?
How to make sense of all this information? We would like to have this site be a place to discuss which things have worked for us (or haven't) and hopefully by sharing our experiences we will be able to help each other wade through all the possibilities and find our own paths to a Healthy Life!
While the previous issues address what we should and shouldn't be eating, there is also the question of what to do if we have developed some ill effects (not feeling well, no energy, weight gain, disease) and want to reverse them. There are so many possible solutions. Do we fast - and if so what kind of fast (juice, water, fruit)? Do we need to detox? If so - how? Herbal cleanses, colonics, saunas, body wraps, sea water baths, Epsom salt baths? What herbs will help heal our bodies and in what quantities? And what about the alternative therapies: massage, Reiki, bio-feedback, hypnotherapy, meditation, light therapy, aromatherapy (to name only a few!)? Which of these would help us in our particular situation?
How to make sense of all this information? We would like to have this site be a place to discuss which things have worked for us (or haven't) and hopefully by sharing our experiences we will be able to help each other wade through all the possibilities and find our own paths to a Healthy Life!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Natural Sore Throat Remedies
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