A
sore throat can be caused by anything from a cold or flu virus to cheering too
long and too loud for your favorite team. As painful as your throat may be, the
problem will generally run its course in a few days. If your throat pain is
severe, and it’s accompanied by white spots in your mouth or throat and
difficulty swallowing, you have a fever and chills, and you ache all over, see
your doctor immediately. There’s a good chance that you’ve been clobbered by
the strep bacteria, and the longer you wait to get help, the more likely it is
that your discomfort will morph into something a whole lot worse.
On
the plus side, while you’re under a doctor’s care, there are plenty of natural
remedies that will help relieve your discomfort and speed up your recovery.
Toss the toxic toothbrush. The minute you start
feeling sick, throw out your toothbrush (or the head, if you use a
battery-powered brush). Dip the new one in boiling water between uses, and just
to play it safe, pitch it once you’re back in the pink of health.
Give your pain a blue pop. Blueberry juice is one of
the most effective sore-throat relievers you can find. And its pain-relieving
power is even more potent in frozen form. Simply pour 100 percent blueberry
juice into ice-pop molds, and tuck ’em into the freezer. When the treats are
solid, simply bite off small pieces, and let them melt in your mouth. But don’t
suck on the ’sicle. The sucking action may irritate your throat even more.
Mustard cuts the mustard. This remedy won’t win any
awards for good flavor, but it’ll put your throat back in the swing of things
fast: In a mug, combine 1 tablespoon each of prepared mustard, salt, and honey
with the juice of half a lemon. Then pour in ½ cup of boiling water, and mix
thoroughly. When it’s cooled to lukewarm, gargle with it two or three times.
(But don’t swallow it!)
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