Everyone gets a sore throat from time to time, but not everyone has relief in the home medicine cabinet. Instead of running out to the drug store, try looking in your kitchen. Home remedies for sore throats, using natural ingredients, have been used for centuries.
The best known remedy is honey and lemon. This is made by adding one tablespoon honey and the juice of one lemon to one cup of warm water. It should be sipped slowly yet not allowed to become cold.
A simple variation of the honey lemon tea is to mix the juice of one lemon with 1 tablespoon honey. Combine together and take a tablespoon every half hour.
Another well known remedy is apple cider vinegar. Add 2 teaspoons of vinegar to one glass full of warm water. Take a large sip, gargle and spit out. Take the next sip and swallow. Repeat this pattern until the vinegar water is gone.
If you prefer a cold drink, try adding 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar to 1/2 cup of pineapple juice and sip the mixture until it is gone.
Cider vinegar added to a vaporizer is said to relieve sore throats also.
Sucking on a hard candy, such as a peppermint or horehound, can help ease sore throat pain.
Another traditional remedy is to take 1 teaspoon horseradish, 1 piece of lemon peel, 2 tablespoons of honey and mix well. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Take 1 tablespoon every hour until gone.
A Russian home remedy is to take 1/2 cup of anise seeds and one cup water. Simmer this mix slowly for one hour. Strain the seeds from the water and add 1/4 cup honey. A tablespoon of cognac can also be added at this time. Take 1 tablespoon of the mixture every half hour.
For tonsillitis, a home remedy that is recommended by many herbalists is garlic sage tea. In a large saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of garlic juice and 2 ounces of dried sage, and 1 quart of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to sit until lukewarm. Drink 1/2 cup of garlic sage tea every two hours for relief.
For laryngitis, Tibetans recommend simmering 1/2 cup raisins in 1 cup water for twenty minutes. Allow to cool; drink the water and eat the raisins.
Another home remedy for laryngitis is simple peppermint tea. Add a teaspoon of honey for sweetness. Not only is this said to help the throat, peppermint is also known as an herbal relaxant.
Chamomile tea is also said to relieve a sore throat and is another herbal remedy that is also useful for relieving stress.
Honey seems to be the key ingredient of most home remedies, but raw honey should not be given to small children or the elderly.
While none of these home remedies are guaranteed to work, it cannot hurt to try them sometime provided you are not allergic to any of the ingredients. Like all illness, if a sore throat persists and nothing seems to work, or is accompanied by fever, see your doctor. A sore throat can be a sign of an underlying viral infection or other serious illness.
