Home Remedies for Sore Throat and Cough

One of the most bothersome, yet common conditions that affect almost every individual once in a while is a sore throat. This is a condition wherein the person finds it difficult to eat and swallow without having pain in the throat region while doing so.

There are many different symptoms that may accompany this condition, right from mild symptoms like a cough and cold to severe symptoms like difficulty in swallowing food, which may eventually lead to complete loss of appetite.

So, how can one deal with this condition? Rather than popping pills and turning to antibiotics, which most of us find convenient, one should try out some simple yet effective home remedies to get rid of sore throat and related problems.

There is no dearth of home remedies for cough, and some of them are specifically targeted at sore throat which happens to be the underlying cause of cough in most of the cases. The best thing about these home remedies is the fact that you can pull them off with some simple ingredients that are readily available in your kitchen.

More importantly, most of these are pretty harmless - unless you are allergic to any of the various ingredients mentioned here.

• One of the most common remedies that anyone, right from your doctor to your grandma will advise for you is to do warm salt water gargles. Take a glass of lukewarm water, add a generous amount of salt to it and then gargle with this mixture in your throat.

The warm temperature of the water makes it difficult for the bacteria to survive, and salt disturbs their salt balance, leading to eventual destruction of this bacterial species. Ideally, you should do it 5-6 times a day to get rid of sore throat at the earliest.

• It is quite well-known that if you have wet cough, then an easy way to get rid of all the mucus is to simply eat spicy food. If you let your taste buds revel in food that is rich in cayenne pepper, then it will help to relieve you a bit of your persistent cough.

Some people even advocate gargling with cayenne pepper to get rid of a sore throat along with the cough, but since this may be a bit painful and discomforting for a first timer, you shouldn't opt for it if you are skeptical about it.

• Sometimes, the kitchen can prove to be one of the best places to turn to when you need a worthwhile home remedy for an annoying sore throat. You can take four cloves of garlic and add about a tablespoon of honey. Then, add just a pinch of cayenne pepper and mix it together, chew on it and swallow it.

The juice that you swallow in this case is known to give relief when it comes to a sore throat and cough.

• If the cough that you are suffering from is wet cough, then there are chances that you also have a blocked nose and heavy sinuses.

One of the age-old ways of dealing with this is to use a Neti pot. This is a pot into which you can pour some warm water - or even a Neti pot solution, and then rinse your nostrils with it. It is sure to open up your sinuses and providing you with some much-needed relief.

• The benefits of apple cider vinegar are legendary. If you wish to get rid of a sore throat that has been persistent for a while, then you can mix one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and add an equal amount of honey and lemon juice to it.

Add a dash of cayenne pepper too. Pour this mixture into hot water and stir well. Drinking this mixture multiple times a day will have soothing effect on sore throat.

• Gargling with fenugreek seeds is also quite helpful in cases of cough and a sore throat.

• Drinking some hot soup or having a hot bath will also help to relieve your senses, and rejuvenate you.
• Drinking tea - especially peppermint tea or chamomile tea, to mitigate a sore throat is also quite popular.

• All through the time that you have a sore throat and cough, it is advisable to rest and get some sleep as well. If you overwork yourself and don't eat and drink properly, then there are chances that your recovery will be delayed.

These were some simple, but effective remedies for sore throat - and cough attributed to it. These remedies are bound to provide you considerable amount of relief. However, if your symptoms are persistent or are accompanied by more severe symptoms, then it would be wise to pay a visit to your health care practitioner and rule out any serious disease or underlying condition.