Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 6: Recognizing a sore throat
• Part 2 of 6: Taking care of your sore throat at home
• Part 3 of 6: Soothe your sore throat by gargling
• Part 4 of 6: Drinking tea to soothe your throat
• Part 5 of 6: Treating a sore throat in children
• Part 6 of 6: Treating a sore throat with medication
• Tips
• Warnings

Sore throat is a burning pain in the back of the throat that can make it difficult to talk and swallow. This symptom can have a variety of causes, including dehydration, allergy, and overworked muscles. But it is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection, such as the flu or streptococcus. A sore throat usually resolves on its own after a few days, but you can take some steps to speed up the healing process.

To step

Part 1 of 6: Recognizing a sore throat

1. Recognize the symptoms of a sore throat.The most obvious symptom of a sore throat is a sore throat that gets worse when you swallow or talk. It may also be accompanied by a feeling of dryness or burning, and a hoarse or soft voice. Some people also have painful, swollen glands in the neck or under the jaw. If you still have your tonsils, they may also be swollen or red, and may show white dots or pus.
2. Watch for other signs of infection. Usually a sore throat is the result of a viral or bacterial infection. Watch for the symptoms of an infection that may accompany the sore throat. These could include:
   • Fever
   • Chills
   • Cough
   • A runny nose
   • To sneeze
   • muscle strain
   • Headache
   • Nausea and vomiting
3. Consider calling the doctor. Usually, a sore throat will go away on its own within a few days to a week. If the pain is very bad or persists, you should still have yourself examined by the doctor. The doctor will then look at your throat, listen to your breathing, and maybe take a throat culture. While that doesn't hurt, it can be annoying as it can cause a gag reflex. The culture is sent to a lab to determine the cause of the infection. If you know which virus or bacteria is causing the sore throat, your doctor can advise you which treatment is needed.
   • Your doctor can also give you a complete blood test or get you tested for allergies.

Part 2 of 6: Taking care of your sore throat at home

1. Drink lots of water. Drinking water prevents you from drying out and keeps your throat moist so that it hurts less. Most people prefer to drink room temperature water when they have a sore throat. But if you prefer cold or warm water, drink it.
   • Drink at least eight to ten 240ml glasses a day - and more if you have a fever.
   • Add a spoonful of honey to the water. Honey has antibacterial properties and by coating it can soothe a sore throat.
2. Humidify the air. Dry air will only make a sore throat worse every time you breathe in. To keep your throat hydrated, you can increase the humidity. This is especially important if the weather is dry for a longer period of time.
   • Consider buying a humidifier to use at home or in the office.
   • If a humidifier is not an option, place dishes with water in the rooms where you spend a lot of time.
   • If your throat feels very burning, take a hot shower and stay in the steam in your bathroom for a while.
3. Drink lots of soup and stock. It is really true that chicken soup is good when you have a cold. Research has shown that chicken soup can slow the movement of certain types of immune cells. The slower these cells move, the more effectively they work. Chicken soup also makes the tiny hairs in your nose move faster, which can help with infections. Eat milder and not too sticky meals for a while.
   • Examples of soft foods include applesauce, rice, scrambled eggs, soft cooked pasta, smoothies and soft beans and legumes.
   • Leave spicy things like chicken wings, pizza with salami and anything with chili peppers or lots of garlic for a while.
   • Also, avoid eating things that are too hard or sticky that are difficult to swallow. Examples include peanut butter, dry bread, crackers, raw vegetables, and dry cereal.
4. Chew your food well. Cut it into small pieces before putting it in your mouth. Make sure to chew it long enough so that it is soft before you swallow it. Chewing and letting the food mix with your saliva can make it easier to swallow.
   • You can also puree it in a food processor if it makes it easier to swallow.
5. Make your own throat spray. You can take a bottle of this with you throughout the day to relieve pain if needed. Start by measuring out 60ml of filtered water for every 60ml of spray you want to make. Add two drops of essential menthol oil (pain reliever), two drops of eucalyptus oil and two drops of sage oil (antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory). Mix it all well and pour it into a 60ml glass spray bottle. Put it in the fridge until ready to use.

Part 3 of 6: Soothe your sore throat by gargling

1. Gargle with salt water. Add about 1 teaspoon of sea salt or table salt to 250 ml of warm water and stir to dissolve it. Gargle with this solution for about 30 seconds and spit it out. Repeat it every hour. The salt reduces swelling by extracting water from the swollen tissue.
2. Use apple cider vinegar. Although there is no scientific explanation for it yet, apple cider vinegar appears to work better than any other vinegar at killing bacteria. Unfortunately, the taste is too bad for words for some people, so be prepared to rinse your mouth with water afterwards!
   • Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a cup of warm water. If you want, you can add a spoonful of honey to make it easier to tolerate the taste.
   • Gargle with this solution 2-3 times a day.
   • Do not give honey to children under the age of two. Young children can contract infant botulism if the honey is contaminated with it.
3. Try baking soda as an alternative. Baking soda is alkaline, which can help soothe a sore throat. It changes the pH of the throat, fighting bacteria. Baking soda is also a great alternative if you don't want to gargle with apple cider vinegar because of its flavor.
   • Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to a cup of very warm water.
   • Add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt.
   • Gargle with this mixture every 2 hours.

Part 4 of 6: Drinking tea to soothe your throat

1. Make cayenne pepper tea. While you should avoid spicy foods, cayenne tea can actually soothe a sore throat. Cayenne helps against irritations; it turns off the original irritant. It also decreases "substance P" in the body. Substance P is a neurotransmitter associated with inflammation and pain.
   • Stir 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper into a cup of hot water.
   • Add 1-2 teaspoons of honey (to taste) and drink it in small sips.
   • Stir occasionally to distribute the pepper well.
2. Drink licorice tea. This is not the same as the black and white powder that you eat as candy. Licorice tea is made from the licorice root plant, Glycerrhiza glabra. Licorice root has antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It is good for any sore throat, whether caused by a virus or a bacterial infection. Most health food stores and supermarkets sell all kinds of herbal teas, and licorice root is often among them. Use one tea bag per cup of boiling water, and add honey to taste.
3. Enjoy a cup of clove or ginger tea. Cloves and ginger both contain antiviral and antibacterial compounds. Even if you don't have a sore throat, you will probably love the taste and aroma of these teas.
   • To make clove tea, add a teaspoon of whole cloves or half a teaspoon of ground cloves to a cup of boiling water.
   • For ginger tea, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger powder to boiling water. If you are using fresh ginger (and it is best!), Take 1/2 teaspoon of peeled and chopped ginger.
   • Add honey to taste.
4. Add a cinnamon stick to any tea you drink. Cinnamon is full of antioxidants and has antiviral and antibacterial properties. You can steep a stick in boiling water to make cinnamon tea, or use a cinnamon stick as a spoon to stir in another type of tea. You not only fight your infection, but you also give your drink a delicious, rich taste!

Part 5 of 6: Treating a sore throat in children

1. Make yogurt popsicles. Note that cold temperatures can sometimes make a sore throat worse. If your child does not respond well to this, then stop. Gather the ingredients: two cups of Greek yogurt, two to three tablespoons of honey, and a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Yogurt contains healthy bacteria that help strengthen the immune system. The Greek yogurt is thicker, so it won't drip as much when it melts. You can take plain yogurt or anything fruit flavored, whatever your child likes.
   • Mix the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.
   • Pour the mixture into popsicle molds, tucking about 1 cm from the top edge.
   • Put the sticks in it and put it in the freezer for 6-8 hours.
2. Prepare the popsicles to eat. If you just rip a popsicle out of the mold when it's just out of the freezer, you may only have a stick in your hand, without ice. Before pulling the stick, dip the molds in hot water for five seconds. This will loosen the popsicle a little, so that you can get it out of the mold more easily.
3. Also try making tea lollipops. You can also freeze any type of tea from this article. Pour your cayenne, licorice, clove, or ginger tea into the popsicle molds and let it freeze for four to six hours. For the kids, you may want to sweeten the popsicles a bit with honey and / or cinnamon.
4. Make lozenges for children over five years old. If you give them to younger children, they can choke on them. But in older children and adults, they stimulate saliva production, helping to hydrate your throat. The lozenges also contain ingredients that soothe and heal the throat. You can store them in a cool, dry, dark place for about six months. To make them, collect the following ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon of marshmallow root extract; 1/2 cup slippery elm powder; 1/4 cup filtered, hot water; two tablespoons of medicinal honey.
   • Dissolve the marshmallow root extract in hot water.
   • Put the two tablespoons of honey in a glass and add 120 ml of the marshmallow root water.
   • Put the smooth elm powder in a mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
   • Pour the honey / marshmallow root water into the well and mix all ingredients. Now make small, elongated balls about the size of a grape.
   • Roll the lozenges in some extra smooth elm powder so that they are less sticky, and place them on a dish to let them dry for at least 24 hours.
   • When they are dried, you can wrap each lozenge in a piece of parchment paper. When you are going to use them, open the paper and let the tablet dissolve slowly in your mouth.

Part 6 of 6: Treating a sore throat with medication

1. Know when to seek immediate medical attention. Usually sore throats with home remedies disappear after a few days to two weeks. If it lasts for more than two weeks, the infection could be so severe that you need medication. In addition, children should always go to the doctor if the sore throat does not go away after drinking some water in the morning. Call the doctor immediately if your child has trouble breathing or swallowing. Unusual drooling associated with a sore throat should also be investigated as soon as possible. Adults can better estimate when a doctor's visit is necessary. You can look at it at home for a few days at first, but see your doctor if you:
   • Have a sore throat that lasts for more than a week or gets worse.
   • Have trouble swallowing
   • Have trouble breathing
   • Have trouble opening your mouth or have pain in the temporomandibular joint
   • Have joint pain, especially if you haven't had it before
   • Have an earache
   • Have a rash
   • Have a fever higher than 38.5ºC
   • See blood in your saliva or mucus
   • Often suffer from a sore throat
   • A bulge feels on your neck
   • Are hoarse for more than two weeks
2. Assess whether the infection is caused by a virus or bacteria. Viral sore throats usually do not require treatment. It usually clears up on its own after five to seven days. Bacterial infections may need to be treated with antibiotics.
   • The laboratory's analysis of your throat culture will reveal whether the infection is viral or bacterial.
3. Take antibiotics as prescribed. You should always complete a course of antibiotics, even if you start to feel better. If you don't take the medications for as long as your doctor prescribed, symptoms may return. That's because some resistant bacteria may initially survive the antibiotics. If so, the number of resistant bacteria in your body is increasing. This can cause complications if the infection returns.
   • If resistant bacteria survive in your body, you are more likely to get inflammation again. This time you need stronger antibiotics to kill the bacteria.
4. Eat yogurt with active cultures while taking antibiotics. Antibiotics attack the bacteria causing the infection, as well as the healthy bacteria in your gut, which your body needs for digestion and to keep your immune system strong. They are also important for the production of certain vitamins. Yogurt with active cultures contains probiotics - healthy gut bacteria. Eating this while on antibiotics will keep you healthy while the antibiotics do their job.
   • Always check for the term "active cultures" on the yogurt packaging. Pasteurized or otherwise processed yogurt does not restore the intestinal flora.

Tips

• Most people find it relieving when they drink hot drinks, but that's not a hard and fast rule. If you prefer lukewarm or cold tea, drink it. A drink with ice cubes can also help, especially if you have a fever.

Warnings

• If you are no better after 2-3 days, see a doctor.
• Do not give honey to children under 2 years old. Although it is rare, a child can get infant botulism because honey occasionally contains bacterial spores, and children have not yet developed a resistance to it.