Home Remedy of the Week: How to Treat a Sore Throat with Salt Water Gargle Naturally
Salt water is not only a home remedy, but a doctor-recommended treatment for sore throat.
Sore throats are a result of an infection, usually of a viral nature. It is characterised by constant pain, irritation, swelling and scratchiness of the throat. While the soreness can resolve itself on its own in a matter of a few days if it’s caused, it can be difficult to function with an aching throat. The swelling and the pain makes it nearly impossible for you to eat or swallow anything. It can also interfere with sleep, keeping you up all night. Home Remedy of the Week: Why Honey is The Best Natural Remedy For Sore Throat.
Some of the signs of a sore throat include pain, swelling, difficulty swallowing and sometimes, a fever. If you are feeling drained by the pain, there are certain home remedies for sore throat you can try out at home. Common ones to treat a sore throat include chewing on ginger, sucking on a piece of rock sugar or applying an ointment topically. But the easiest and most effective is always the salt-water gargle. It is so potent that doctors themselves recommend a salt water gargle to treat a sore throat.
How Salt Water Can Heal Sore Throat
At first, it may seem too farfetched that a glass of warm, salt water can cure your sore throat. But it turns out that there’s a scientific reason why salt water gargle works.
Salt is an ingredient known for drawing water out of any substance it comes in contact with. When the sore, infected throat is exposed to salt water, the salt draws fluids out of the tissue in the throat, flushing out the virus and other pathogens.
It also creates a salt barrier keeping the germs out of the throat, preventing further infections.
When salt water remedy is combined with cold medication, the person can recover faster from a sore throat, according to a 2011 inquiry.
Salt water gargle can also soothe the throat from the pain apart from warding off the virus,
How to Gargle With Salt Water for Sore Throat
To start, take a clean glass. Fill it with warm (not hot) water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Adding too much salt can make you gag, so stick to a teaspoon.
Take a large sip of water, tilt your head back till the water floods your throat and gargle for 30 seconds.
Repeat the process a few more times till you feel the pain has reduced.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 09, 2019 10:58 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).