Understand first what throat congestion is
Sore throat, throat irritation or throat congestion whatever you may call it affects most people at some time or the other, these infections could be mild or severe and may be due to various causes. It is good to know that throat irritation or congestion could be caused by cold, cough or sore throat with more than 200 species of bacteria responsible for it. It is significant to note that most of the remedies for throat congestion would range from simple medications, home remedies with its cause lying in a deep underlying condition that needs to be attended to promptly.
Throat congestion could affect the normal routine of a person with its causes lying in activities like allergy to certain foods and pollutants, excessive consumption of alcohol, cold beverages and ice-cream. In addition an infected tonsillitis, bacterial infections cancer and polyps of the throat, reaction to anesthesia after surgery, smoking and viral infections could cause throat congestions.
The first most significant symptom for throat congestion is the difficulty in swallowing saliva, followed by a feeling of obstruction in the throat. Your voice could crack and you could experience a constant tinkle in the throat and cough out phlegm after eating or swallowing liquids. If you notice signs like ear pain, hoarseness or green phlegm with fever it is time to consult a qualified medical professional. Home remedies for throat congestion have worked best in most people.
A look at home remedies for throat congestion
No one can ever overlook the effect of deep gargling for relieving symptoms of throat congestion. Bringing short term effect immediately, gargling with warm water to which a pinch of salt has been added helps. However it is best to ensure that the temperature of the gargling water is just right and there is no excess of salt as very hot water could cause scalding of the throat and saltiness could lead to further irritations. It is significant to note that other solutions that provide equal effect as warm salt water include gargles with sage tea, raspberry tea or any other branded mouth wash.
Havent we heard doctors say that it is good to take citrus fruits like orange, lemon and lime to build up our power of resistance and immunity? Vitamin C can be taken as a supplement or in the form of orange, lemon or lime juice in warm water. Fresh warm fruit juices help, with apple cider vinegar being an excellent home remedy for throat congestion. You would be smart in consuming apple cider vinegar in equal quantity with honey as its acidic taste makes it less palatable. Drinking apple cider mixed in honey in a glass of warm water proves real effective as a home remedy.
One of the herbal home remedies for throat congestion includes slippery elm. The inner bark of the slippery elm tree is considered very effective for throat congestions, with mucilage the gel like substance in the inner bark proving effective when taken with warm water. Reducing throat congestion and soreness this herbal remedy is also available in the form of capsules and herbal lozenges along with other herbs like elderberry and zinc.
Marshmallow root, another herb grown in USA and Europe is similar to slippery elm and possess the property to soothe throat congestion. Marshmallow root tea is an excellent home remedy and can be prepared with adding one teaspoon of the root to boiling water and allowing it to stand for about 45 minutes before straining and consuming it. However this remedy in contra-indicated for those that suffer from diabetes, and pregnant and nursing mothers.
Last but most important make sure to be well hydrated with drinking a lot of water and other fluids. It is best to avoid caffeine and smoking. In addition oily and fried foods are to be avoided to prevent aggravation of symptoms. This forms the basis of excellent home remedies for throat congestion.