Sore Throat
Natural Remedies

10 Best Natural Remedies for Soothing a Sore Throat

Cayenne Pepper Recipes
Posted by Laura (Pittsburgh, PA) on 02/05/2008
★★★★★

I tried James' remedy tea first. Let me say, I HATE vinegar, and it was god awful to swallow down. I took about 4 sips, gargling first, then swallowing. My throat has gone from razorblades to feeling just swollen, but thankfully, ABLE TO SWALLOW! I'm not suprised it worked, based on all the reviews. I will suggest that you follow what another post said and mix equal parts honey to apple cider vinegar if you can't stand the taste of vinegar. I don't mind the cayenne, so I still mixed about an 1/8 teaspoon with 2 TBS honey and 2 TBS ACV. I added a bit of hot water (like 1/4 cup) and a dash of lemon juice. I gargled and swallowed this. I think I will continue to do the "shots" as opposed to the tea. BUT IT DOES WORK! I managed to eat a nice chocolate donut (ah comfort food) within 10 minutes. AWESOME!!! I will continue every two hours throughout the day with the shots. I imagine adding some ginger may help, as well.


Cod Liver Oil
Posted by Sherry (Athens, Georgia) on 01/24/2008
★★★★★

I have found that taking a tablespoon full of cod liver oil the first thing in the morning has taken care of the onset of a sore throat. I also, take it throughout the day as needed.

Also, I've been introduced to Oil of Oregano. I started with 1 drop in the cod liver oil, because it is soooo potent. I mix it well and take, letting the spicy hot numbing effect do its work in my mouth and throat. I now take 3 drops at a time.


Cayenne Tips
Posted by Blue1965 (Stafford, Virginia) on 12/28/2007

To remove the burning from your mouth after using cayenne pepper or chilli pepper, take a slice of bread and push it down on your tongue & the roof of your mouth. The pepper grounds stick to the bread and come right off the skin inside of the mouth. You might have to move the bread around to get it all but it stops the burning.


Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Dana (Fort Worth, Texas) on 12/05/2007
★★★★★

I have had a sore throat twice in the last two weeks, probably due to allergies, and both times I have COMPLETELY kicked it by gargling with tea tree oil mouthwash (I found it at a health food store). I would use it maybe 3 or 4 times during the day whenever it started hurting again, but w/each use it hurt less and then was all gone! Gasp! It had felt swollen as well and that also went away... it just seemed to kill whatever was causing it. I didn't even gargle that long, since it has a sort of medicinal, monkey urine flavor --but don't be scared. Hope this helps somebody!


Hot Sauce
Posted by AL (Kuching, Malaysia) on 08/30/2007
★★★★★

I had read alot of positive feedback about using cayenne pepper powder to cure sore throat but unfortunately, in this part of the world, cayenne pepper isn't easy to find. So I thought I'd try a substitute instead-pure chilli powder which we keep an abundant supply because we cook curries so much.Then I decided to combine the other effective ingredient which have been also highly recommended by readers here-ACV! I had a terrible sore throat which was hurting very badly so I mixed a teaspoon of chilli powder with a 1/4 cup of ACV, then diluted the mixture with 1/2 cup of warm water and gargled 1/2 of it. The back of the throat burned a little but I didn't make much out of it. Then I rinsed my mouth and drank some water before going to bed.It didn't seem any better immediately after but the next morning , when I woke up, the pain in the throat was gone although I still felt as if a cough was still going to come up.I gargled the mixture again throughout the day, about 2 hourly and by evening, the sore throat was totally gone. I tried it with my children, aged 4 -13 and it worked for all of them too. Although my 4- year old felt it was too hot for her, she quickly took a chip of ice to cool her throat down. I must also add, it will not work if it's only done once a day-it will only be effective if it's gargled at least 3-4 hourly and for a very bad sore throat, every 2 hours.


Black Tea
Posted by Cheska (Dahab, Egypt) on 08/21/2007
★★★★★

This is the most amazing cure! when i got throat infections they would then travel into my lungs and then only antibiotics would cure it, but recently my homeopath told me to make a cup of very strong black tea (2 teaspoons of tea in 2/3 cup of boiling water) then add 1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, when it has cooled a little gargle half the cup, try keep gargling each mouthful for a long time and as deep in your throat as possible then spit all of it out down sink. repeat with other half of cup a few hours later and then again with a fresh cup a few hours after that, you will see the sore throat disappear!


ACV and Raspberry Tea
Posted by Lynn (Waterville, Maine) on 08/15/2007
★★★★★

I learned about raspberry tea and started using a cup of warm raspberry tea with 1/2tsp of apple cider vinegar to gargle with and spit back out. I freaked when I saw the gunk it was nasty. If caught in time it gives a nice relief of a sore throat. From time to time I just gargle to keep from getting a build up of gunk. Especially during allergy seasons. I hope this helps as it did for me.


Vicks Vapor Rub
Posted by Esvl (Strand, South Africa) on 07/14/2007
★★★★★

I tried the sore throat cure of vicks vapour rub and a scarve around my neck and it helped.


Acidophilus
Posted by Tamara (Yukon, OK) on 08/17/2008

Acidophilus can actually be taken with an antibiotic and should be taken with an antibiotic. This is why.... antibiotics kill good and bad bacteria. When the good bacteria is killed, it can cause diarrhea or a yeast infection. The probiotic, acidophilus, will help keep the normal flora, or good bacteria intact and help prevent antibiotic associated diarrhea or yeast infections.


Cayenne Tips
Posted by Helen (Toronto, Canada) on 04/21/2007

Cayenne pepper remedy cured my sore throat. This helped: Cover lips with vaseline before gargling. Keep tongue up by the roof of the mouth when sipping. Finally, keep a cold wet washcloth while gargling, wipe lips (especially inner lips) and tongue with it, it helps. Rinse washcloth every time to remove pepper dust from cloth. Washcloth dipped in icy ice cube water works best. Stinging from pepper subsided within a few minutes.


Hot Sauce
Posted by Lori (Oklahoma) on 11/25/2016

Hey,

I use hot sauce sometimes for the sinuses, and sometimes if I can't get warmer because I'm cold natured! Seems to help! But even though I like hot sauce I don't eat hot sauce alot. Helps with the sinuses, feels like u have a fireball in your tummy throat and on your lips, but u know if it works it works! Have a great day


Cayenne Tips
Posted by Gail (Las Vegas, Nv) on 02/14/2011

Let the cayenne and glycerin sit for two days? My throat hurt so bad I didn't have time to wait. I mixed it according to your suggestion and immediately dropped it into my throat. Mixing it with glycerine did produce a sweet flavor. Within in minutes I was able to swallow with much less discomfort.

I'd like to know why I should wait two days before using the concoction.

Thanks


Coconut Oil
Posted by Sunny (Ca) on 09/05/2021

You don't need to use the clove and it will still work. But I'm sure the clove powder makes it better.


Epsom Salts
Posted by Michelle (Phoenix, AZ) on 01/28/2007
★★★☆☆

WORKED TEMPORARILY

i soaked in a bath with epsom salt and when i got out i felt way better! my throat did not hurt at all. But it only takes the pain away for a couple hours. But its better than nothing.


Vicks Vapor Rub
Posted by Mark (Toronto, ON) on 02/04/2006
★★★★★

I tried Vics Vaporub last night and it helps. I think I will try it again for several days on my neck, chest and back before going to sleep.


Vicks Vapor Rub
Posted by Lindsey (Rising City) on 01/11/2006
★★★★★

I tried Vics vapor rub after my mom and her friend told me about it. You put some on your neck, wrap your neck in a towel and safty pin the towel shut. I usually do this before I go to bed and the next morning, my sore throat is gone along with my stuff nose! WORKS GREAT!


Pineapple Juice
Posted by S (NJ)
★★★★★

I usually drink pineapple, as hot as I can stand it at the first sign of a cold. The morning after there are no more symptoms. This is also an amazing remedy for an established sore throat or voice loss due to a cold. I suffered with a raw throat and loss of my voice for 2 weeks, then someone suggested drinking hot pineapple juice... the next morning, I had my voice back and my throat was no longer raw.

Pineapple Juice
Posted by Francisca (Zug, Switzerland) on 01/07/2012

Lou, I agree with you as far as pineapples goes, at least the real ones! In Europe now you see mostly the ultra-sweet ones which I believe are manipulated to produce always the sweetest pineapples. I try to stay away from those. Actually many fruit we eat now seems to be manipulated to contain more sugar, maybe to cover up the fact that they don't taste like anything anymore! I love kakis and till a little while ago I could find the traditional ones you eat very ripe, which are lovely but now I only find sharon fruit and those too are manipulated. They took away the tannin and they look just like they are made of plastic. I tried them a little while ago and it was almost like eating an apple just it wasn't an apple, very weird and they never seem to ripen.

Even pears nowadays are awfully sweet, too bad because we need the vitamins but not the sugar. When we go and live in our new house we will be growing quite a bit of fruit ourselves! The problem is that you have to stay away from the modern manipulated kinds!


Listerine
Posted by Robinhood ! (Janesville, ca.) on 12/25/2020
★★★★★

Sore throat, I just take 1/2 tsp of listerine "original", hold my head up and pour it down, keep looking up and let it trickle down, and if it doesn't work, do it again in 2 hours.

It kills a sore throat almost every time. I had a bad one the other day and did it, but the next day it bothered me again so I did it once and bang gone 3rd day now and no problems.

Remember 1/2 teaspoon, and good to go :) It might work for a virus also, don't know about that though, might try it, it kills germs!


Preserved Salted Lemons
Posted by Becksnyc (Cleveland, Ohio) on 10/11/2016
★★★★★

Preserved salted lemons for sore throat

A Chinese friend introduced me to this cure for sore throat. It doesn't taste great, but works faster than anything I've ever taken. You fill a jar with lemons (organic), cover with rock salt (I prefer pink Himalayan) and let them rot. The salt draws the juice from the lemon, she advised taking a teaspoon in a cup of hot water. I add raw local honey. The lemons mold as they rot, so persons sensitive to mold-based products like penicillin may wish to avoid this. I've read online that you can also use limes & kumquats and that this concoction can still be used a decade later. That has also been my experience.



NEXT 
Advertisement