Sore Throat
My late Grandmother was correct after all it seems, “Only time can cure the common cold”, said she. Doctors now confirm that a simple gargle with salt water greatly helps to ease your misery.
An itchy sore throat and respiratory congestion are the more common symptoms of a common cold, and gargling with salt water does help.
A sore throat occurs when the area around the tonsils becomes inflamed or infected. Pain in the throat is usually the first symptom to develop, though if you get a sore throat through being infected with the common cold, then it will likely develop further after infected liquid runs down the back of your throat from your runny nose.
Such a saline solution can draw excess fluid from inflamed tissues in the throat, making them hurt less, states Dr. Philip T. Hagen, editor in chief of the “Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies,” which is due for publication in October. Dr. Hagen points out that gargling loosens thick mucus, which will remove irritants like allergens, bacteria and fungi from your throat.
For best results, dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a full glass of warm water and gargle the solution for a few seconds before spitting it out.
And again, drink plenty of liquids. Teas and water are best.
Details of a study published in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2005, also found gargling with salt water extremely helpful against sore throats and congestion.
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