Best Ways to Help a sore throat

One of the best ways to treat a sore throat is by staying hydrated. When you are dehydrated, your body cannot produce enough mucus or saliva to keep your throat naturally lubricated. This makes inflammation and swelling worse. Water is a good choice. You can also drink warm soups or warm teas. Avoid drinking caffeine and alcohol as they dry out the throat.

Staying hydrated is the most crucial part of treating a sore throat. A dehydrated body is unable to produce enough saliva and mucus to naturally lubricate a sore throat. All this will cause swelling and inflammation making the throat worse.

Water is a very good choice as well as warm tea and soups. However, avoid consuming very hot tea and soup as they might burn your already sensitive throat. Strictly avoid alcohol and caffeine, as they dry out your throat even more.

This age-old home remedy for sore throat helps reduce swelling and inflammation. Additionally, it also draws the irritants to the throat’s surface, where your body will take over and deal with them.

Follow these simple steps to treat your sore throat:

- Dissolve a fourth or half teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water.

- Gargle once after every hour, or may be every two hours

Some people also recommend gargling with apple cider vinegar. While apple cider vinegar does have antibacterial properties, its effects on sore throats are not known. So it’s best to stick to salt water gargles.

Moist air can give you much relief. Breathe in the steam produced from the warm shower to reduce swelling and ease throat pain.

The main aim is to get the steam to your throat, which can also be done by running very hot water into a sink. Then drape a towel over your head, and then leaning into the sink to breathe in. keep taking breathes for some time ad repeat this whenever you feel pain in the throat.

Sore throat is possible because of viruses or bacteria. So, if your sore throat does not go away in a day, or if it gets worse then see a doctor for a strep test. You might need an antibiotic. If your doctor has prescribed you the medicines, ensure that you complete the course. Don’t stop taking medicine even when you don’t have those symptoms anymore. Stopping the course mid-way can leave some bacteria behind and can re-infect you.

The first few swallows may cause slight discomfort, but the eventual effect will be similar to that of applying ice on a sprained ankle. The icy liquid will dull the pain and reduce swelling which will both, numb your throat and calm the inflammation, thereby considerably easing your pain.

Add a few drops of honey to your warm tea to soothe your irritated throat. Tea hydrates your throat and that also helps with throat irritation. So, next time your throat starts to tickle, have a tea. 

You should choose a green tea as it serves as an antibacterial, pain reliever, and is a rich source of antioxidants.

Honey is beneficial to have when you are sick. It is an effective cough suppressant that works well as OTC cough medication.

A pain reliever such as ibuprofen can stop coughing which keeps your sore throat from healing. Always remember that ibuprofen must necessarily be taken with food. Also, be sure to adhere to the prescribed dosage that generally appears on the rear of the pack.