Common Ailments Healed at Home: Sore Throat

Sore throats happen to everyone. But what are some natural ways to heal one? 
First, you should identify the source of the sore throat. Is it an allergy? Is it a cold? Is it overuse of your vocal cords? Is the the air?


If it's an allergy, 2 things:


1. If your throat is tight and you are having trouble swallowing you may be experiencing anaphalaxus and you may need medical attention. Seriously.
2. If it's a common allergy that you have experienced before and it is not serious, your sore throat may be from drainage from your nose into your throat while you sleep. Gross, I know. Try rinsing your nasal cavity before bed with a saline solution of warm water and about 1/4 tsp of non iodized salt in a neti-pot. This rinses away the pollen and whatever else is trapped in your nose/nasal cavity. Also give yourself a saline gargle, this may help with that.


If it's from being ill:
1. GO TO THE DOCTOR. You don't want to discover that you have strep throat and you've been treating it with tea and now have a major infection.
2. If it's really just a common cold, create a concoction of equal parts honey and vinegar. I know, you realize now how much I love vinegar, but it's really useful. This concoction tastes horrible, but so does many cough syrups. Take it like a liquid medicine. Two to three spoonfuls at a time as needed.  (DO NOT GIVE THIS TO CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 3 DUE TO THE HONEY!) The vinegar kills bacteria and germs and the honey is a natural antiseptic and will soothe and protect your throat while it heals.


If it's from overuse:
Relax your throat. Stop talking and don't clear it all the time. If you feel like you want to clear your throat just hum. I know that sound really strange but clearing your throat is much like rubbing your vocal cords with an SOS pad. Humming gently vibrates your cords and loosens any crap on them without injuring them. Next drink some tea with lemon and honey and keep your throat warm and disinfected. Feel free to use the vinegar/honey syrup as well.


If it's from the air: 
You may have dry air and need a humidifier. In the wintertime I have this problem and in the summer I have this problem. In the winter it's because of the dry air and I simply put a pot of water on my extremely hot radiators. You can also just use a humidifier. In the summer it's because of the air conditioner, so then I just plug in the good old humidifier. Make sure you check the filters on your A/C often and keep them clean.

Raspberry Leaves (fresh)

Here are a couple of treatments:

Make a "tea" with about 2 teaspoons of raspberry leaves or blackberry leaves with 1 cup of boiling water. Let it steep anywhere from 8-10 minutes, strain and allow to cool. Use it as a gargle. DO NOT DRINK IT. Feel free to add some Elder flowers if you have some. (You can buy raspberry leaf tea also)

Sage 

You can also make one from sage. Sage is great for sore throats. Take about a teaspoon's worth and steep in hot water. Add some honey and vinegar and use it as a gargle as well. Like before, DO NOT DRINK IT.

You can add tumeric to hot milk, though dairy is not good for your throat if you are experiencing some phlegm, I would suggest putting it in some tea, about 1/2 tsp. to 8 oz of tea.

You can take horseradish (1 tbsp.), ground cloves (1 tsp.), and some honey (1 tsp.) and add it to warm water and drink it. 

You can also try steaming yourself over a bowl of hot water with a tower over your head. Eucalyptus oil, Rosemary oil and Sage oil are all good additions to sooth a sore throat.


Upon some research I found a weird one from the Amish, is take a peeled garlic clove, slice it in half and suck on it like a cough drop, occasionally bruising it with your teeth.

Here is a great link to a recipe for an herbal throat lozenge that you can make at home.


or even some pastilles in this link.





Sources:
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-sore-throat.htm
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/herbal-remedies-for-sore-throat.htm
http://www.learningherbs.com/sore_throat_remedies.html
http://www.organicauthority.com/health/health/sore-throat-secrets.html

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. I, the blogger  do not take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.

Common Ailments Healed at Home: Sunburn

Please note: If you experience fever, vomiting, heart palpitations, eye pain, dehydration with poor urine output, extreme blistering, or skin that cold, clammy and  visibly pale GO TO THE DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY! There is a vast difference between a little too much exposure to the sun resulting in a minor sunburn and sun poisoning that needs medical attention.  Also note that though temporary sunburn damage is permanent to our skin and prevention is preferable to treatment. Also note that I am not a doctor, licensed herbologist, psychologist or priestess, I simply love home remedies and the use of plants to heal the body. 

Photo Taken from my Brooklyn rooftop July 4, 2011 before the fireworks

Here is the treatment that my family uses to treat sunburns with some other advice I've come across from other friends:

Step 1: Brine Yourself
Take a luke warm bath with white vinegar* in it. Yes, it stinks. Yes, you smell like a pickle. Yes, it will help more than any other step in this treatment. **Vinegar alleviates the itching, burning, and pain associated with a minor sunburn. Initially, I've found that it stings a little and itches when it first hits your skin BUT a little fresh water rinsed over it and that sensation immediately dissipates. The other option is to douse yourself with vinegar in the shower and then rinse it with warm water. You want to use warm water because cold water can actually put you into shock- bad idea- and hot water just encourages inflammation, believe me lukewarm water will feel nice and cool on your sunburn.
* Allergic to white vinegar? Try Apple Cider Vinegar instead. 
**Literally can't stand vinegar? Try this combo instead: Same bath but add 2-3 Tablespoons of baking soda OR oatmeal and soak for about 15 minutes (too much longer is no good so watch the time!). Air dry so that the baking powder/oatmeal that is on your skin stays there. Then make a potato pack. Recipe to follow. Though honestly, man up, vinegar is way better and gets rid of the PAIN. Seriously, it's only for a few minutes and you won't regret it. 



Step 2: After you gently pat dry your newly pickled self:
(You can use a gentle vegetable soap after the vinegar so you don't stink.) Rub on the good old tried and true aloe vera. The gel is fine and the plant is fine. If you have a very bad sunburn I actually buy the blue aloe vera gel with lidocaine. Big Daddy is pale and his burns are extremely painful so I am nice and provide gel with a topical pain killer in it.



Step 3: Moisturize or be damned to lizard skin.



Once that Aloe dries, use an after sun skin lotion. I use Alba's, it smells like coffee mmmmm, pictured here to the left. These lotions tend to have more skin soothing botanicals and non-irritating non-inflammatory components. Apply this often (this will help prevent peeling.)  You can purchase Alba Hawaiian After-Sun Lotion Kona Coffee here Drugstore.com.





Step 4: If you didn't notice your skin was burning, chances are you also didn't notice that you were dehydrating as well.
Drink 1-2 glasses of water. Continue to hydrate until your urine is very pale/clear. If you aren't a water drinker try some gatorade or pedialyte (I like mine in apple juice- I also use this for hangovers.)  If you take OTC pain killers, now is a good time.



Step 5: Relax  

Chimi relaxing while having her tummy rubbed. She did not have a sunburn.

Step 6: Bring on the taters!

You can also make a potato pack. Pulvarize 2-4 potatoes (depending on the size of you and your sunburn you may need more or less). Almost liquify them, add water as needed because you want this to be cool and wet. Dab this pack all over your sunburn (you will probably need assistance- you will almost definitely need assistance) once the potatoes dry rinse them off in a cool shower. This is really good for your face since vinegar can hurt the eyes. MOISTURIZE after your shower.


Step 7: So, you've discovered that you've managed to burn your eyelids.
DO NOT PUT VINEGAR ON YOUR EYELIDS, if it gets in your eyes it hurts. You can use the potato pack, you can use cucumbers (these are great!), and you can use cold compresses soaked in cucumber, oatmeal or baking soda water. (Strain the oatmeal/cucumbers out of the water before soaking the compress- it's less messy.) Use as desired.

Step 8: Oh no! You have to go in public and you don't live in a nudist colony!
Cornstarch will be your best friend to put on a bra or panties. (I personally just wear the top I got burned in/bathing suit top I go burned in so that the "lines" are more likely to line up (also bathing suit tops are more adjustable and less restrictive than conventional bras and for the bottoms I use underpants that are smaller than my bathing suit line- which is really easy to do.) If you have blisters, or open sores from your sunburn don't put anything on it that isn't prescribed to you.



Step 9: DON'T:

Sun Blisters

Use petroleum jelly, toothpaste, oils of any kind, stringent soaps or anti-bacterial soaps (unless directed by a physician) they can dry the skin and block your pores. Not conducive to healing a sunburn. Don't "pop" any blisters- . In fact, short of just dead skin bubbling up, if you get an actual blister- GO TO THE DOCTOR because you've got a serious burn.






Okay my sun bunnies, enjoy the rest of this fleeting summer- and please be sunburn-free!

Picture taken in Sarasota, FL September 2010.

Sources:
Experience