Sore throat remedy please? page

[KittyKat]

Hi guys - not sure if this is another carb flu related thing (not sure becuase I have been really low carb for over a month now... but I have a sore throat... dont really want to use honey but am wondering if anyone has any ideas? Im taking a multivitamin and fish oil.... eat plenty of dark leafy greens and berries.... maybe I need a blast of vit c?....

Thanks in advance

[Farfalla]

Ginger tea - grate ginger, put it in boiling water and let it infuse for 5 minutes. I take a piece about as big as my thumb, just a bit thicker, and it is good for 3-4 cups of tea. You can drink it like that or with lemon.

If you need a vitamin blast, I suggest sauerkraut or kimchi.

[bloodorchid]

a teaspoon of whiskey as needed

yes, i'm serious

kills the pain-germs fast

[oliviascotland]

Or, if you don't want or can't have the whisky, then try gargling with salt and water - as hot as you can stand it! Tastes vile, but works wonders.

[Adrianag]

Throat Coat tea made with Slippery Elm bark is amazing. You can find it in health food stores.

Also take 15000 iu Vitamin D3 for 3 days to boost your immune system.

[Blackcatbone]

There's a bad cold going around so I doubt it's carb flu. As has been said, salt water gargle, Vit C, rest, drink plenty of fluids. I've been known to dissolve an aspirin in the salt water as well. Gross as hell, but if it's really bad.

[Hilary]

Fresh sage tea with honey. That's been a lifesaver for me when I felt too horrible to go out and buy something, but there was sage in the garden.

[honeybuns]

Tea with rum and honey is our go-to method. Cannot wait to give some of these others a try!

[highaerials36]

Fresh homemade bone broth.

[Satch12879]

::sigh::

Lots of bad advice here, particularly the calls for hot to boiling water rinses, gargles, and the use of salt.

I've always had very bad sinuses so post-nasal drip is a fact of life for me and post-nasal drip means sore throats. I used to sing and act when I was younger, and despite my good natural technique, constantly being congested was a horrible impediment. Saline flushes were recommened but they only irritated my soft palate, so I suffered with it.

One day, I read an interview with Dave Grohl of The Foo Fighters - an unlikely source, indeed - who was talking about how he prepares for concerts and gets over sore throats. Basically, he laid down the following strong dose of anti-CW:

The lining of the throat is no different than the lining on the inside of your mouth; in fact, the skin of your sinus passages, of which your mouth and throat are ancillary parts of, are no different than the skin on any part of your body if more delicate. Now, would you pour boiling water on your arm or in your mouth? Why would you gargle with it then?

As for salt, something about open wounds come to mind. Yes, I've had raw skin and blisters on my soft palate and throat due to infections and/or post-nasal drip.

Your sore throat is the result of the lining of your throat being irritated and thus inflamed so the last thing you want to do is induce a minor to major burn by pouring hot/boiling water on it thus exaserbating the condition. What you want to do is only heat your liquid just to body temperature. Tea, herbs, broth, steeped lemon slices (be careful with too much - acid), whatever. Despite your objections, honey is really one of the best things you can take in this case, because it acts like a salve. No dairy (obviously); it only makes mucus! You want to dissolve the crud causing the sore throat, flush it to your stomach, and soothe the irritated skin in your throat so it can heal.