Your need for sore throat remedies begins harmlessly enough: a minor prickling feeling at the back of your tongue.
Sore throat remedies are used to treat the condition known as pharyngitis, laryngitis or tonsillitis (depending on where the infection is located).
This condition occurs when your immune system reacts to an allergen or infection, setting off a flash flood of inflammatory chemicals like histamines and leukotrienes that irritate the membranes.
Sore throats are one of the most common reasons why people see a doctor. It’s not always the case that a sore throat will be an indication that a cold or flu is imminent however.
Although this is true in most instances, and the majority of sore throats resolve on their own within a week. If any of the following are present, a doctor’s visit will be necessary to rule out a more serious condition:
- Sore throat or croakiness lasts for more than several days
- Sore throat causes extreme pain when swallowing or breathing
- Sputum, phlegm or saliva contains blood
- Rash
- Enlarged or painful lymph nodes in the neck
- White or yellow patches or pus at the back of the throat
- Fever of 103F in infants under 12 months or 101F or higher in babies under 6 months
- Excessive drooling in children
- Contact with someone who has been diagnosed with strep throat or mononucleosis or if there is a reported outbreak in your community
- Sore throat but no fever
While you usually don’t want to run to the doctor each time your child shows the classic viral symptoms, such as a runny nose and cough, it’s a bit different for sore throats.
You should see your pediatrician and get a strep test when your child displays the symptoms listed above, because he may have strep throat, a condition that can lead to rheumatic fever.
Home Remedies For Sore Throats
A sore throat is a very irritating problem because the throat is inflamed, and you’re reminded of this every single time you swallow. Following are some useful sore throat remedies:
Bayberry – a hot concoction of the bayberry bark is taken as a gargle.
Belleric Myrobalan – generally known as behera in Ayurvedic parlance, belleric myrobalan is a common Indian home remedy for coughs.
Betel – the leaves are crushed and applied externally on the throat region.
Butea – the leaves are a good remedy for infections of the throat.
Cardamom – a mixture of cardamom and cinnamon is used as a gargle for the treatment of sore throat problems.
Fenugreek – seeds are put in a liter of water and allowed to simmer. The cooled liquid is used as a gargle.
Ginger – a very effective remedy that is used to treat sore throats.
Henna – the leaves are taken in the form of a decoction for gargling.
Licorice – the juice of the licorice herb has calming powers for the throat.