Sore Throat Relief

Many of us are struggling with sore throats these days.

Whether it's from allergies, a cold, or something worse. Either way, sore throats are the WORST especially when trying to sleep at night. Sore throats seem to intensify x1000 when sleeping and my below remedies have been tried and true for keeping sore throats soothed.

Sore Throat Tea:

• Carefully pour boiling water in a cup and add 1 teaspoon of dried thyme or 3 tsp fresh thyme

• Cover and leave to infuse for 10 minutes

• Strain and add honey to taste once the tea has cooled somewhat to boost the nutritional content and flavor of thyme tea. We prefer to use this manuka honey in sore throat tea.

• Drink 2-3 times a day to boost your immunity, help aid a cough, or get rid of that pesky cold faster.

• Optional add in's: Splash of our elderberry & honey tonic (you will get a dose of 12 herbs and roots with this added in)​, fresh or dried sage leaves, squeeze of lemon, cloves for their numbing effect.

• Side Note- I am not saying this is the most delicious tasting tea that you will ever have but whatever it takes to feel better? Am I right?

Simple Sore Throat Gargle:

• Carefully pour boiling water in a cup add the following ingredients and let steep for 10 minutes, covered:

• 1 tsp dried thyme or 3 tsp fresh

• 1 clove garlic smashed

• 1-2 cloves for their numbing effect

• Once the above has infused and is no longer piping hot, add a splash of apple cider vinegar and 1/2-1 tsp of Himalayan or Celtic sea salt.

• Gargle this as often as you can. If you swallow it, it won't hurt you but it won't taste great either. Make sure to rinse your mouth out with water afterwards as you don't want vinegar coating your teeth for too long.

Why Thyme?

The antimicrobial and antispasmodic properties of thyme, offer us a great natural choice for respiratory issues and sore throats.

Thyme is also a robust antibacterial plant that can help treat respiratory infections in humans. Research has shown that thyme contains compounds that may help treat cold and flu infections naturally. (1)

Research has also shown that thyme essential oil is effective against multi drug-resistant bacteria. (2) It was found that thyme helped kill off infections in the airways, mouth, and stomach. (3)

We have never had strep throat in our home (knock on wood), but if we did I would automatically turn to thyme gargle and tea as a first step.

Final Simple Sore Throat Tip:

When you can't sleep due to a sore throat believe me when I say you need to ditch that Chloraseptic Sore Throat Spray. I grew up taking it too, but let's be real...it only helps for like 1 min to coat your throat, plus the FDA warns about the risks of throat numbing spray. They report that, "Methemoglobinemia impairs the ability of red blood cells to transport oxygen. As a result, patients can suffer from signs of oxygen deprivation such as headaches. If the condition is undetected and untreated, life-threatening cyanosis can develop. Patients with a history of breathing disorders including asthma and emphysema, smokers and patients with heart disease may be particularly at risk when treated with the benzocaine sprays." No big deal right? Yikes.

What do we do instead?

Manuka honey for the WIN. Our favorite brand is Bees and Trees manuka honey because they are one of the only brands that have been tested for bioactivity. We use their manuka honey in our skin salve and majorly believe in the healing benefits. So if we end up with an annoying sore throat we keep a small bowl of manuka next to the bed. If we wake up in pain we take a small spoonful and let it slowly coat our throat and try not to swallow too much. I promise this will put you back to sleep faster than any chemical spray ever will.

XOXO

Stay well friends

*as always, this article does not constitute as medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Please check with your doctor if you have any concerning symptoms.