A sore throat can be the result of exposure to dry air, cold winds, too much talking, smoke, post-nasal drip, or a variety of other irritants. Regardless of cause, one of the best things you can do for your throat is to gargle with salt water. Put a half-cup of hot water in a glass, add a half-teaspoon of salt, and mix until the salt is mostly dissolved and the water is cool enough to drink.
Don’t drink the water. You want to gargle with it, as far back in your throat as you can without swallowing. You’ve made more than enough salt water to gargle several times in a row, and spit out. It isn’t always pleasant to do, but this will clean, and hopefully sooth, the inside of your throat. Mix and gargle morning and evening for a couple of days. If the soreness lasts longer than that, or if it is accompanied by raised white bumps in the back of the throat (don’t confuse mucus on the back of the throat with the raised white blister-like bumps), you should probably consult a doctor. You may have strep throat, or a bacterial infection. These usually require antibiotics to heal.
Another great soothing remedy also involves hot water. Boil water for tea, and in your mug put a table spoon each of lemon juice (squeezed or slightly less if from concentrate) and honey. Pour the hot tea water over all, and mix until dissolved. Add cold water until drinkable, and then enjoy your beverage. This is a great way of getting enough liquids, while soothing the throat (and possibly mild coughs as well) with honey, and cutting any phlegm with the lemon. Lemon also has some good Vitamin C in it. A great one-two punch for a cold. The steam from the tea water is also good for soothing irritated dry throats and stuffy noses.
While you’ve got your tea water nice and hot, consider the beneficial qualities of these dried herbs as well: Calendula, Peppermint, Nettle, Lemon Balm, and Licorice Root. Natural food stores may also carry throat lozenges with slippery elm bark. These are excellent natural soothers, but follow directions for use carefully. It is easy to overdose on slippery elm. Your local herbal store should carry these herbs, or try online sources such as Northwest Herbs or Mountain Rose Herbs. While you’re at it, buy some reusable unbleached cloth tea bags or a handy metal strainer to use with your herbs.
Put a teaspoon each of your chosen herbs (Calendula and Lemon Balm, for example) into the tea bag or metal strainer, place in tea mug, and pour hot tea water over all. Cover with a saucer or small plate, and let sit for ten minutes before removing herbs, and cooling to taste. Drink and enjoy the flavors. Dried Peppermint leaves are very strong, so half a teaspoon is plenty. They give a nice minty flavor that overwhelms anything else in the tea. They, and Licorice Root, are a restorative, encourage blood circulation, and offer benefits to the entire digestive tract, from the first bite on down.
Calendula is known to sooth mucus membranes and surface irritations throughout the body, so the back of your throat will thank you. Nettle not only calms angry sinuses (amazing when used for allergies!!), but is a soothing nutritional supplement. If your sore throat is due to a cold, allergy or other illness, it’s a good idea to get a little extra nutrition into your diet. Rosemary Gladstar’s Family Herbal Book (recommended by my teacher of herbal medicine, and from my own experience) says of Lemon Balm’s benefits: “Calming, antiviral, and antiseptic… It makes a delicious tea and can be served with lemon and honey throughout the day to alleviate stress and anxiety.” Since most winter illnesses can be attributed to a virus, a cleansing antiviral herb that also sooths is just the thing for a sore throat on a cold winter day.
Whenever using natural and herbal remedies to self-medicate, it is a good idea to do your research, and find out the good, the bad, and the ugly about any herb or supplement you are using. Emergencies and illnesses that get worse instead of better should always be treated by a doctor, naturopath, or other licensed medical practitioner. Use common sense, and enjoy the benefits of managing your own basic health with the best medicine nature provides.
