Home remedies for sore throat, 500 Time Tested

You know that scratchy feeling that gets worse when you try to swallow. Sometimes a raw throat is the first sign of the common cold or other respiratory infection. Other agents can irritate the throat, too: hot liquids, chemicals, smoke, allergies, postnasal drip from sinusitis, and even sleeping with your mouth open at night. Viruses—particularly those associated with the common cold—are far and away the most common infectious cause. Normally, other respiratory symptoms, such as runny nose and sneezing, accompany the throat pain. Viral sore throat should resolve on its own within a few days.

Another viral illness that starts with a sore throat is mononucleosis, a condition that typically strikes teens and young adults. In addition to severe sore throat, signs and symptoms include extreme fatigue, malaise, decreased appetite, chills, fever, body aches, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, enlarged spleen, and sensitivity to light. The Epstein-Barr virus is the cause. It spreads from close contact with infected saliva or respiratory mucus—hence the illness’s nickname “the kissing disease.”

Bacteria can also infect the throat, particularly Streptococcus pyogenes, the cause of strep throat. The onset of sore throat is sudden, with pain on swallowing, tender and swollen lymph nodes in the neck, fever, headache, and possibly nausea and vomiting (especially in children). Unless you have the bad luck of also having a cold, a runny nose, sneezing, and cough are absent. Doctors treat strep throat with antibiotics.

Recipes to treat sore throats

Listerine Gargle 

Listerine is named for Joseph Lister, the English surgeon who introduced antiseptic techniques in surgery. The mixture below is warm and soothing. 1 cup (235 ml) hot (but not scalding) tap water 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Listerine, or 1 drop either eucalyptus or tea tree essential oil

Preparation and Use:
Mix the water, salt, and Listerine. If using essential oil rather than Listerine (in which case you’re eliminating such things as preservatives, saccharin, alcohol, sorbitol, and artificial coloring), mix the ingredients in a small jar and shake well to disperse the essential oil. Gargle and spit out. Continue until you finish the cup. Repeat four to five times a day, making a hot, fresh batch each time.

Yield: 1 application

How it works:
Listerine’s antiseptic ingredients are thymol (which comes from thyme, oregano, and a couple of other mint-family herbs, menthol (from peppermint), and eucalyptol (from eucalyptus). It also contains water, ethanol (alcohol), sweetener, coloring, and preservatives. Tea tree oil is antimicrobial, with activity against a number of bacteria, including strep bacteria, and viruses, including influenza virus. Likewise, eucalyptus essential oil is antibacterial (including against strep) and some respiratory viruses. If you have time, use plant essential oils or make the gargle using dried herbs as described in the recipes that follow. Recipe Variation: Try gargling with a capful of straight Listerine for a throat wash (if you don’t mind the sweeteners and alcohol).

Sage and Thyme Gargle 

1 cup (235 ml) water 1 tablespoon (3 g) dried thyme 2 teaspoons (2 g) dried sage 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt

Preparation and Use:
Bring the water to a boil in a small pan. Stir in the thyme and sage. Cover and steep for 20 minutes. Strain. Reheat, if necessary. (You want the water as hot as you can stand it without burning.) Add the salt and stir. Gargle and spit out. Continue until you finish the cup. Repeat four to five times a day, making a hot, fresh batch each time.

Yield: 1 application

How it works:
Sage and thyme are antioxidant and antimicrobial.

Lemon-Honey Ginger Tea 

A pinch of cayenne adds healing agents—and punch. 2 cups (475 ml) water 2 tablespoons (12 g) minced fresh ginger, or 4 teaspoons (7 g) dried 1 tablespoon (20 g) honey 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice ¹∕8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Preparation and Use:
Bring the water to a boil in a nonreactive pot. Add the ginger. Turn off the heat. Cover and steep 15 minutes. Strain. Stir in the honey, lemon juice, and cayenne.

Yield: 1 application

How it works:
Ginger is antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and warming. Lemon inhibits some bacteria, is antioxidant, and provides bioflavonoids and vitamin C. Honey moistens irritated mucous membranes, soothes inflammation, and discourages bacterial growth. (Manuka honey, which comes from bees that extract nectar from the manuka flower in New Zealand, is active against strep bacteria.) Cayenne is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic (despite the burn), and active against some bacteria. Warning: Do not give honey to children under twelve months of age because of the small risk of botulism.

Sore Throat Tea 

Down this tangy throat soother while the honey is still warm. 1 cup (235 ml) water 1 tablespoon (2 g) fresh thyme leaves 1 tablespoon (4 g) fresh oregano leaves 1 tablespoon (3 g) fresh sage leaves Honey

Preparation and Use:
Boil the water in the bottom of a double boiler. Place the other ingredients in the top of the double boiler. Gently heat the honey mixture for 30 to 60 minutes. Strain through a tea strainer. (You’ll get about ¼ cup [60 ml] or less.) Drink right away while still warm.

Yield: about ¼ cup (60 ML), just enough to coat the throat

How it works:
Honey is antibacterial, soothing, and moistening. The three herbs are antimicrobial. With heat, you’ve infused the honey with the herb’s healing chemicals.

Neck Lymph Massage 

Perform this yourself or ask a partner to help so that you can completely relax. 1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive, apricot, almond, or sesame oil 3 drops peppermint essential oil

Preparation and Use:

Wash your hands. Pour your preferred carrier oil into your palm. Add the peppermint essential oil. Blend with a fingertip. Massage into your neck, focusing on the area under the jaw (where you may feel tender lymph nodes) and the muscle that runs parallel to your trachea (windpipe). Stroke downward from the base of your jaw toward your collarbones. Avoid contact with your eyes. Wash your hands well after you finish.

Yield: 1 application 

How it works:
Massage can increase local circulation of blood and lymph (an immune system fluid). Peppermint is analgesic and antimicrobial against some viruses and bacteria.

Homemade Neck Cozy 

3 cups (about 540 g) rice, dried lentils, millet, barley, or other microwave-safe grain 10 drops lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, or other essential oil

Preparation and Use: 
Pour the grain into a bowl, sprinkle the essential oil over it, and mix. Pour the scented grain into a clean tube sock. Leave enough room to knot the open end of the sock. (You can also sew it closed.) Microwave on high for 60 to 90 seconds. Check the temperature: It should feel pleasantly warm to the touch but not scalding hot. Wrap the sock around your neck. Ideally, you should do this after the neck massage described in the previous recipe. Sip warm tea and relax.

Yield: 1 application

How it works:
Heat increases local circulation, which increases the delivery of immune cells and the removal of wastes. It also feels good. The essential oils are antimicrobial, smell nice, and help clear a stuffy nose that accompanies your sore throat.

When Simple Doesn’t work
Many grocery stores stock teas by Traditional Medicinals. One is Throat Coat, which contains licorice, marsh mallow, slippery elm, cinnamon, wild cherry, and sweet orange. Collectively, these herbs coat and soothe irritated membranes, enhance immune function, and discourage microbes. In one study, this tea was superior to a placebo beverage in reducing pain in people with sore throats. Former president Bill Clinton is said to have used it to combat hoarseness on the campaign trail.