You can alleviate a sore throat caused by a cold or virus by relying on home remedies.
The most common medications are aspirin, ibuprofen, and cough medicine.
However, there are other home remedies you can try if your sore throat is mild.
Here are 11 home remedies for a sore that you can try at home.
Common Symptoms of a Sore Throat
Some of the common symptoms include a scratchy throat and hoarseness.
However, other symptoms associated with sore throats include:
- A feeling of burning in the back of the throat
- Dry throat or coughing that produces a white or yellow mucus
- Painful swallowing
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
- Fever or chills
- Difficulty breathing through the nose
- Unequal voice pitch
- Hoarseness
If you are having trouble swallowing solid foods or liquids, you should visit a doctor because these critical things can indicate strep throat.
What to Avoid When You Have a Sore Throat
Certain foods might irritate your throat and make the problem worse.
Avoid foods that irritate your throat as much as possible, including coffee, carbonated drinks (even diet soda), spicy or acidic foods (like oranges or tomatoes), and dairy foods.
Food that is hard to swallow can also cause discomfort in your throat—experiment with eliminating certain foods from your diet to see if your sore throat eases.
You should also avoid using your voice too much, so try to limit talking or singing.
If you need to talk or sing, you can speak slowly and allow your throat to rest between talks or songs.
You should also avoid acidic foods like orange juice and tomato juice.
Here Are The Top 11 Home Remedies For A Sore Throat
#1: Gargle with Salt Water
Gargling with salt water helps soothe the throat, making it easier to swallow and breathe.
This is an effective way to relieve a sore throat without swallowing any medicine.
- Dissolve one teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm water.
- Gargle for 30 seconds at a time, and spit the water out.
- Repeat several times.
#2: Baking Soda Gargle
Did you know that you can quickly relieve a sore throat by gargling with baking soda?
Gargling with baking soda is especially helpful when you don't have access to medicated mouthwash or over-the-counter medications.
Baking soda has antiseptic properties that kill bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that cause sore throats.
Furthermore, baking soda is very cheap and easy to find.
Simply mix a tablespoon of baking soda with a cup of warm water and gargle with the mixture for about 30 seconds.
Repeat this a few times a day until your symptoms subside.
#3: Gargle with Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is an excellent remedy for sore throats.
That's because lemon juice has antibacterial properties that kill bacteria in the throat and mouth.
Bacteria cause problems like bad breath and tooth decay.
Gargling with lemon water also helps prevent bad breath, helps to thin out mucus, and relieves a sore throat.
- Mix a teaspoon of lemon juice in one cup of warm water.
- Gargle for 30 seconds at a time, and spit the water out.
Repeat several times.
#4: Gargle with White Vinegar
Gargling with white distilled vinegar is another cheap and effective way to soothe your throat.
Vinegar helps relieve a sore throat caused by a bacterial infection caused by streptococcus bacteria and strep throat.
Mix a teaspoon of white distilled vinegar in half a cup of warm water.
Gargle for 30 seconds at a time, and spit the water out.
Repeat several times.
#5: Chew Gum
Chewing gum can help relieve sore throat symptoms because it stimulates salivary glands in the mouth and throat to produce more saliva.
As a result, chewing gum helps moistens the throat and mouth, easing the discomfort caused by excess dryness.
Plus, chewing sugar-free gum can help whiten your teeth and prevent bad breath, lol, so it's a win-win.
#6: Gargle with Warm Water & Honey
Warm water and honey soothe your throat in much the same way that salt water and honey do.
Drinking this concoction helps soothe a sore throat caused by acid reflux as well.
- Mix one teaspoon of honey in one cup of warm water.
- Gargle for 30 seconds at a time, and spit the water out.
Repeat several times.
#7: Gargle with Aspirin
Aspirin is an effective remedy for a sore throat caused by infection.
That's because aspirin has anti-inflammatory properties that relieve pain and swelling in the throat.
Dissolve one tablet of aspirin in 5 ounces of warm water.
Gargle for 30 seconds at a time, and spit the water out. Repeat this once every hour until your symptoms improve.
#8: Gargle with Garlic
Garlic is antifungal and antibacterial.
Garlic is a good home remedy to cure a sore throat caused by bacterial strep throat or infections in the throat.
- Crush a few garlic cloves and place them in a cup of warm water.
- Gargle for 30 seconds at a time, and spit the water out.
- You can also chew two or three crushed garlic cloves per time until your symptoms improve.
Alternatively, you can mince the garlic cloves and add them to your dishes to add flavor.
#9: Gargle with Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera gel has antibacterial properties that may help soothe a sore throat caused by a bacterial infection.
That's because the gel inhibits bacterial growth and helps relieve inflammation in the throat.
Mix some warm water with aloe gel (you can buy aloe gel from an herbal shop) to dilute the gel.
Gargle the mixture for 30 seconds at a time, and spit the water out. Repeat several times.
#10: Gargle with Onion Juice
Onion juice has antimicrobial properties that can help soothe a sore throat caused by a bacterial infection.
This is because onion juice inhibits bacterial growth and kills bacteria in the throat and mouth.
Crush a few fresh onions and extract the juice.
- Mix one teaspoon of onion juice in one cup of warm water.
- Gargle for 30 seconds at a time, and spit the water out.
Repeat several times.
#11: Gargle with Ginger
Ginger has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that can help soothe a sore throat caused by a bacterial infection or a viral infection.
- Crush a piece of ginger and extract the juice.
- Add one teaspoon of ginger juice to one cup of warm water.
- Gargle the mixture for 25 to 30 seconds, and spit the water out.
- Repeat this until your symptoms improve.
Alternatively, you can grate fresh ginger and add a pinch to a cup of hot water.
How Long Will a Sore Throat Last?
A sore throat can last anywhere from a few hours to several days, depending on the cause.
Sore throats are usually caused by a viral infection that can be treated by drinking plenty of fluids and taking an over-the-counter medication like pain relievers or lozenges.
Bacterial infections can be caused by strep throat or diphtheria.
These are more serious and need to be treated by a doctor who can prescribe antibiotics and other medications to treat infection.
Suppose your sore throat is caused by acid reflux or GERD.
In that case, your symptoms will usually disappear after a couple of days as your stomach recovers from the irritation caused by the acid buildup in the esophagus.
To Sum it Up
Since there are so many causes of a sore throat, you will often find that combining these methods works best for you.
Use these natural remedies to help you eliminate your discomfort at home without spending much money on medicine that will do more harm than good in the long run.
Most doctors advise people with sore or scratchy throats to drink lots of fluids and eat foods rich in vitamin C to avoid dehydration, which can worsen the symptoms.
If an infection or a virus causes it, most people get better on their own in a few days.
Still, a doctor can prescribe antibiotics to treat strep throat or other bacterial infections that cause persistent symptoms for more than a few days.
The bottom line is you should stay hydrated and get plenty of rest.
