Hoarse Throat Remedy

By Karen Carter, eHow Contributor


A hoarse throat can be a minor annoying condition. This can be caused by anything from a stuffy nose to a bacterial infection. If a hoarse throat lasts for more than three days, contact your primary care provider to see if it is something serious. Signs of something more than a hoarse throat include muscle pain, high fever and coughing up blood. Otherwise a hoarse throat should get better with some self-care remedies.


Gargle
Gargling is good for a hoarse throat if you can gargle without gagging. It soothes a painful throat and helps cut through any phlegm. Add ½ teaspoon of salt to 1 cup of very warm water. Gargling with salt water will soothe your throat and kill germs. Using antiseptic mouthwash as a gargle kills bacteria that may be causing an infection. Put ¼ cup of mouthwash in a small cup and gargle with it. Do not share this cup with anyone in order to prevent the spread of germs. Also, do not drink the mouthwash directly from the bottle since this will contaminate the bottle.

Hot Liquids
Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of non-caffeinated liquids a day while suffering from a hoarse throat. Hot fluids like coffee, tea or hot lemonade are the best to sooth a hoarse throat. Hot liquid treatment is similar to applying hot packs to injuries on the outside of the body. It helps to relieve swelling and pain. One old-fashioned remedy is to mix 1 tablespoon honey with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar in 8 ounces of hot water. Sip this remedy slowly. If it starts to cool, warm it up in the microwave. Use this remedy often until your hoarse throat goes away.


Other Remedies
Take analgesics for the pain. These include aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Do not give aspirin to children under the age of 19. They run a high risk of Reye Syndrome when given aspirin. Bed rest leaves energy to fight off the infection. Also keep your nasal passages clear by using decongestants with pseudoephedrine. Follow the package directions when taking decongestants. Saline nasal spray can bring immediate relief to nasal congestion. Relief from saline spray is only temporary. Also use a humidifier at night in your bedroom. This will keep your throat moist and help with the healing process.

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