Sore throat is a very common condition nowadays. It is the inflammation of pharynx that is the back of a throat. It can be accompanied with cold, cough, sneeze, swollen tonsils or even pain in one’s ear. Usually it is not dangerous but if it lasts long or if a person has got high fever it can be very harmful. In those cases or if there are more serious symptoms such as muscle pain, fatigue and headaches one should definitely seek medical advise. These symptoms can show that a person has flu. If a sore throat lasts longer than a week one might suffer from strep throat, tonsillitis, or some other bacterial infection that will require antibiotics (usually penicillin). A person can also suffer from allergies. Another common cause of sore throat is excessive smoking and loud talking.
Some home remedies include drinking a lot of fluids such as warm herbal teas which help in two ways: they help hydrating one’s body, especially coat one’s throat with moisture and keep post-nasal drip from building up (post-nasal drip causes sore throat in the first place). A chamomile or a mint tea is a good option.
Another long term cure for sore throat is installing a humidifier or a steam vaporizer in one’s room which will help adding moisture to the air which is then less irritating to a sore throat. One should be careful with steam vaporizers if they have got children because they tend to be curious and may hurt themselves. A good option is an ultrasonic humidifier because they do not require much energy, but nevertheless they could sometimes disperse bacteria and minerals. With evaporative humidifiers, as well as with other one similar product, it is important to clean and change filters regularly.
Gargling warm salt water (1 teaspoon of salt per glass, not more) for thirty seconds, several times a day will also be helpful. One can add seeds to strengthen the effect.
Person can gargle water boiled with basil or a sage tea, too. Hot baths are also very good, especially if one adds Epsom salt in it. Another good combination for bathtub is garlic, honey and cayenne.Cinnamon boiled in water and mixed with honey (one can add a little bit of pepper) can also give relief to sore throat.Another good remedy for sore throat is mango bark. Fluid is mixed with water and then gargled.
People often take medicines for flu or pain-killers, but it is important to be careful with that because many of them can have side effects or can even make one’s condition worse. The safest is to consult one’s physician when taking medicines
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