Here is how I approach sore throat:
1. Identify the cause- virus, infection, bacteria? The underlying issue must be addressed. With most cold/flu issues I make a simple soup- boil onions, celery, garlic, carrots, green cabbage and veggie broth, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Early on in the sickness I boil fresh chunks of turmeric and ginger in there as well. Drink lots of herbal tea with ingredients like licorice root for throat soothing, chamomile to get extra rest which helps heal, and fennel is great too because it helps strengthen digestion which is great for the immune system. I also like manuka honey drops as well as honey and lemon in tea. I also take spirulina capsules for the incredible amounts of essential vitamins and minerals and/or 1 tbsp of sea moss if you can for the same reasons. I take elderberry as well in a syrup, capsule, or tea form. Finally I take oil of oregeno for fighting infection in capsule form bur tinctures are great too. I also take zinc, vitamin c, and vitamin D. I like to eat my favorite gluten free vegan bagels as well with finely chopped fresh garlic, hummus, and honey as well.
2. Once the underlying issue starts to clear up, I noticed at times the sore throat may linger. At this point its not so much fighting it but clearing the throat of buildup. For example, I may notice a few white bumps on my throat or tonsils. If I can, I try to take a cuetip and run it under very cold water and physically swab the white spots. This is one of the most effective methods at the very end if there is just a few spots, physically disrupting whatever is trying to live there is usually the most effective method for me. Just be careful, be gentle and meditative when swabbing a spot on your throat to avoid too much activation of the gag reflex and after each swab dispose of the cutip and get a fresh cutip before swabbing again.
3. Finally I gargle a number if things as mentioned above. I start by brushing my teeth to get a fresh mouth then gargle warm salt water. I clear out the salt with cold water and begin the next gargle. I then dissolve ginger powder in warm water and gargle that. I sip a few sips of the warm ginger water to get it into my gut as well. Rinse with cold water gargle. I then rinse with cayenne pepper gargle, take a few sips, rinse. Next I gargle with warm lemon water, take a few sips, rinse. Finally put turmeric powder in warm water, gargle, sip, rinse. The last thing I do is then seal it off with gargling and drinking cery cold ice water.
Remember body chemistry is complex and not just black and white. Inflammation or warmth in the throat us not the same as a muscle injury. A sore throat with no underlying illness like a virus or infection is not the same as a sore throat from singing or talking too much. Inflammation is necessary when healing and warm liquids with salt or herbs or spices allows the medicine to get into the blood and opens up the throat tissue to be able to absorb the medicines. After taking a number of warm healing approaches, the final stage of cold reduces the inflammation and soothes, but its after the warm healing session. Not to mention the cold icy water is mot necessarily needed when healing from a cold/flu/infection and will not solve the underlying issue, it can just be soothing.
Here is how I approach sore throat:
1. Identify the cause- virus, infection, bacteria? The underlying issue must be addressed. With most cold/flu issues I make a simple soup- boil onions, celery, garlic, carrots, green cabbage and veggie broth, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Early on in the sickness I boil fresh chunks of turmeric and ginger in there as well. Drink lots of herbal tea with ingredients like licorice root for throat soothing, chamomile to get extra rest which helps heal, and fennel is great too because it helps strengthen digestion which is great for the immune system. I also like manuka honey drops as well as honey and lemon in tea. I also take spirulina capsules for the incredible amounts of essential vitamins and minerals and/or 1 tbsp of sea moss if you can for the same reasons. I take elderberry as well in a syrup, capsule, or tea form. Finally I take oil of oregeno for fighting infection in capsule form bur tinctures are great too. I also take zinc, vitamin c, and vitamin D. I like to eat my favorite gluten free vegan bagels as well with finely chopped fresh garlic, hummus, and honey as well.
2. Once the underlying issue starts to clear up, I noticed at times the sore throat may linger. At this point its not so much fighting it but clearing the throat of buildup. For example, I may notice a few white bumps on my throat or tonsils. If I can, I try to take a cuetip and run it under very cold water and physically swab the white spots. This is one of the most effective methods at the very end if there is just a few spots, physically disrupting whatever is trying to live there is usually the most effective method for me. Just be careful, be gentle and meditative when swabbing a spot on your throat to avoid too much activation of the gag reflex and after each swab dispose of the cutip and get a fresh cutip before swabbing again.
3. Finally I gargle a number if things as mentioned above. I start by brushing my teeth to get a fresh mouth then gargle warm salt water. I clear out the salt with cold water and begin the next gargle. I then dissolve ginger powder in warm water and gargle that. I sip a few sips of the warm ginger water to get it into my gut as well. Rinse with cold water gargle. I then rinse with cayenne pepper gargle, take a few sips, rinse. Next I gargle with warm lemon water, take a few sips, rinse. Finally put turmeric powder in warm water, gargle, sip, rinse. The last thing I do is then seal it off with gargling and drinking cery cold ice water.
Remember body chemistry is complex and not just black and white. Inflammation or warmth in the throat us not the same as a muscle injury. A sore throat with no underlying illness like a virus or infection is not the same as a sore throat from singing or talking too much. Inflammation is necessary when healing and warm liquids with salt or herbs or spices allows the medicine to get into the blood and opens up the throat tissue to be able to absorb the medicines. After taking a number of warm healing approaches, the final stage of cold reduces the inflammation and soothes, but its after the warm healing session. Not to mention the cold icy water is mot necessarily needed when healing from a cold/flu/infection and will not solve the underlying issue, it can just be soothing.