A sore throat is defined as feeling pain, discomfort, or difficulty while swallowing food or drink. The common reasons for sore throat can be changing weather and exposure to bacteria or viruses that can lead to throat irritation, pain, and inflammation. The best home remedies include resting the voicebox, saline gargles, consuming cold, icey fluids, using warm liquids with honey, and over-the-counter medications like NSAIDs. If the sore throat persists for over a few days, getting yourself checked for a medical diagnosis and effective treatment by a healthcare provider is good.
Home Remedies to Cure Sore Throat Overnight
A sore throat will be the first symptom you will feel even at the slightest change in weather, bacterial or viral exposure. Either at the office or home, it can make not just the swallowing hard but cause a slight pain even when you drink or eat something.
The good news is home or DIY remedies can give you instant relief from a sore throat. Let’s understand all of them by the category of the easiest to a bit time-consuming remedies.
Give your voicebox a rest
Not talking for some time won’t hurt anyone; it gives your voice box and throat to get over the newly attacked germs, bacteria, viruses, or irritants that cause a sore and painful throat.
As per an article published by the National Institute of Health (NIH), Taking vocal naps (rest your voice throughout the day) is one of the healthiest habits to adopt to take care of your voice and throat.
Gargle with lukewarm and salty water
Gargling your mouth with salty water is one of the best ways to cure sore throat fast. Warm fluids, coffee, and soups will help soothe sore throat pain while swallowing or eating and kill a sore throat fast overnight.
Put one to two pinches of salt in lukewarm water, and you are good to go to kill sore throat overnight. “Gargling with salty water is one of the most classical and best ways to get immediate effects for sore throat,” says Dr Richard Honekar. MD.
Basic water gargling proved to be efficient in averting upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in individuals who are in good health. This nearly cost-free technique could substantially advantage the overall population.
Icey cold fluids for sore throat
Suck on an ice popsicle or have icey cold fluids for the time being to get quick help for an irritating sore throat. It also will numb your throat and reduce inflammation, making you feel better.
Ensure you steer away from acidic icey fluids to flare up the sore throat, as the acidity will trigger inflammation and pain in the throat, making it more challenging to eat and drink.
Herbal teas with honey
Honey has natural antibacterial properties that will help you cure the sore throat fast by killing the bacteria causing a sore throat. It’s good to add two teaspoons of honey to all the fluids that you consume to get instant relief and a soothing sensation.
Honey also works as acid reflux for sore throat aggravated by acidic fluid or food intake. As per the meta-analysis performed by the National Institute of Health, honey outperformed standard care in enhancing symptoms related to upper respiratory tract infections, including sore throat. It offers an easily accessible and cost-effective substitute for antibiotics
Steam Inhalation
Place a towel over your head and incline towards the sink, inhaling the steam from the boiling water. Continue taking deep breaths from your mouth for a few minutes, and replicate the process as needed to alleviate your sore throat symptoms.
You can make your environment more humid by boiling water on your stove for 30-35 minutes, after which vapors will definitely make your home more humid, which will help with dry and painful throat symptoms.
Scientific investigations indicate that both gargling and steam inhalation contribute to symptomatic alleviation of sore throat and upper respiratory infections.
Sleeping posture: head elevation
Head elevation while sleeping will help significantly in improving the symptoms of sore throat if they are caused by acid reflux or GERD.
Elevating your head a bit when lying down and having a sore throat will help you ace the sore throat symptoms overnight.
Keeping a good eye on your hygiene
It’s been published, and studies are conducted for flossing your toothbrush as soon you get the diagnosis of strep throat. Still, logic proved that it’s unnecessary as it won’t harm you if you get prior antibiotic treatment, ultimately finishing the course.
This also doesn’t mean you will continue with the one brush throughout the year. It’s usually good to get yourself a new toothbrush after four months of its usage. Toothbrushes stay moist and take time to dry up after usage, and moisture initiates the growth of different bacteria in the toothbrush bristles. Those bacteria can be the reason to irritate your throat, causing a sore throat with inflammation and pain.
Over-the-Counter Medications for Sore Throat
Over-the-counter medications can also be taken for preventive and supportive care, including NSAIDS: Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) medications, which will be quickly dispensed to you without a prescription.
For Ibuprofen: Adhere to the prescribed dose provided, typically ranging from 200-400 mg, to be taken every 4-6 hours as required. However, it’s essential to take care not to outdo the maximum consumption limit.
For Acetaminophen: Consume the recommended dose indicated on the label, generally within the range of 500-1000 mg for an adult, and be administered every 4-6 hours as needed.
Nasal decongestants and sprays can also be used as an over-the-counter medication for the temporary relief of sore throat that leads to nasal congestion.
What can worsen sore throat?
Foods that are rich in either fat or spice will worsen the sore throat and will eventually flare it up. It is also good to avoid foods that are hard or dry when you are experiencing a sore throat, as swallowing crunchy hard textured foods can make the sore throat more painful; experience.
All citrus foods, juices, alcohol, and coffee should also be avoided to make your sore throat worse.
Consult a Doctor
You can get an online prescription quickly if your sore throat continues for over a few days, along with other symptoms like high/fluctuating fever. It clearly indicates that there is an underlying bacterial or viral cause of a sore throat.
It’s now easy to get an online prescription with the ease of your home through our virtual doctors by chatting and describing your issue. Consult a healthcare provider to get the proper medical consultation and diagnosis.
FAQs About Quick Sore Throat Relief
It indicates that you have a sore throat due to external allergens, pollutants, acid reflux, colds, STIs, environmental pollutants, and rarely cancer. Feeling sick means that there is an underlying cause, like bacteria and viruses, that can cause fever, and you will feel sick.
If the cause of sore throat is because of allergens or pollutants, it will go away in 2 to 3 days. If the cause is bacterial or virus, the body will react to it differently by increasing the temperature, including illness and fever. It will last until the underlying condition is treated.
Over-the-counter medications like Ibuprofen and Tylenol (Acetaminophen) can be used for supportive care if you are feeling fever and related illness. Antihistamines (Allergy medications) like Benadryl or Claritin be used. It’s good to get yourself checked by your medical provider to get the proper diagnosis and treatment.
This condition is termed sore throat, where your throat hurts when you drink or swallow something. It is because either your throat is sensitive to allergens or bacteria/Viruses attack your throat, and you probably will be experiencing fever very soon. If it persists, it’s good to get a medical consultation or over-the-counter medications like Advil or Tylenol for pain relief.
