Easing Throat Pain Quickly
Dissolve a spoon or two of honey in a mug of hot water. Honey is a natural antiseptic and has also been shown to suppress a cough. Stir the honey into the hot water, then slowly sip it. Make sure your water is comfortably hot before you drink it. As an alternative, you can swallow the honey slowly. Children under 1 year should NOT be given honey. It contains bacteria that their bodies cannot process.
Gargle with warm saltwater. Add 1 spoonful of sea salt or 2 spoonfuls of table salt to a glass of warm water. Gargle with a mouthful of the solution at a time until it is gone. This sanitizes your throat and reduces inflammation, in turn reducing pain. You can gargle with salt water as often as 2-3 hours.
Breathe steam. You can take a hot shower, use a humidifier, or stand over a boiling tea kettle. Breathing the steam will soothe your throat, as dry air is very painful on your throat.
Eat hot foods. Try eating foods like chicken broth, soup, warm applesauce, or soft fruits (though you should avoid foods with too much sugar). These can reduce pain. Try washing, separating and freezing blueberries, canned oranges, or similar small fruits. Suck on these once frozen to reduce the pain.
Drink warm tea. Drink some warm tea like Throat Coat Tea or ginger tea. If you don't like these flavors, choose one you enjoy. For added benefits, stir in a little honey.
Suck on throat drops with pectin. A throat drop that contains pectin can relieve throat soreness. Make sure you choose drops that are labeled for throat irritation rather than coughing. Use your throat drops as directed on the packaging. You can find throat drops at your local department store, drug store, or online.
Getting Your Body Better
Stay in bed. The most important thing to do is to stay in bed. Don't get up and move around a lot, because if you're sick, running around everywhere will make you feel worse and get everyone else sick too! Rest and sleep are very important. You can even watch TV or read a book to keep you occupied and get your mind off the sickness.
Take vitamin C and zinc. Vitamin C and zinc support your immune system, so they can help your body stay healthy. You can take these vitamins as part of a multivitamin or by themselves. Talk to your doctor before you take any supplements, especially if you're taking other medications.
Get some fruit juice. Liquids such as apple juice can ease sore throats. Some top two recommended juices are apple juice and orange juice. Be aware that hot apple cider may not help as much.
Avoid juices with a lot of sugar. Sugar will create an environment where germs can multiply quickly. Drink natural or fresh squeezed juices instead. Lemon-based juice and other high vitamin C content juices will be best.
Eat some soup. Soothing broth is just what you need. Chicken noodle soup and Top Ramen are both delicious and very helpful for your throat.
Take some medicine. This will really help your throat get better. Kids should take either Motrin or Benadryl. They will make you sleepy, but hey, sleep is just what you need!
Get some sleep. Take some time off your throat issues and take a nap! This is perfectly fine and very helpful.
Bundle up! It's important that you bundle up, because if you have a cold, sore throat, flu, or fever, you shouldn't expose yourself to coldness, because it could make you more sick.
Keep yourself entertained. Because you're staying home from school or work, you could get a little bored sometimes. If you wrap yourself in a blanket or robe, you could easily go on to the computer (wikiHow!!) or something away from your bed. Things you could do at your bed are: read, write, play some sort of portable video game system, etc.
Avoiding Irritating Foods and Drinks
Stay away from cold drinks and food. They constrict and tighten your passageways instead of easing them. This can make your throat irritation worse. Instead, choose warm or comfortably hot foods and drinks.
Avoid dairy and ice cream products. They give you phlegm, which causes you to cough more. Since coughing can make your throat hurt worse, it's best to cut out these foods and drinks until you feel better. Cut out milk, yogurt, cheese, chocolate, and ice cream until you start feeling better.
Eliminate foods that scratch your throat until you feel better. Whatever you do, don't be too hard on your throat. Don't eat things like tortilla chips because this will make your throat feel horrible. Stick to broth, juice, and hot tea. If you think a food is bothering you, don't eat it. Listen your body!
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