Sore Throat
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Sore Throat - Editor's Choice

Over the years, Earth Clinic readers have sent us many reports about their treatments for Sore Throat. The editors at Earth Clinic consider the below posts to be some of the most helpful and informative and have named them 'Editor's Choice'. We hope that you will find this useful.
The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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Goldenseal

Posted by Neva (ME) on 07/12/2021
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I use Goldenseal when I have a sore throat. My grandmother used to get it in powder. She would put a tiny bit into the end of a straw and blow it down my throat.

I use it differently. I take a Golden Seal Capsule, open it up, put it into a cup of boiling water and let it steep for ten minutes. I then pour it through a coffee filter and put it into a bottle with a dropper, and then use a dropper full down my throat.

I warn you that it tastes really bad, but it has always worked for me. You can also use this solution on a bad tooth. It will get rid of the infection.

One really important warning. If you are taking other medications, Golden Seal will rid your body of them, so don't use it if you are on heart medication or other life-giving medication.

Cayenne

Posted by Carrie (Charleston, Sc) on 06/21/2018
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I woke up in the middle of the night itchy, hot, generally uncomfortable and unable to sleep with a sore throat/cold I caught from my twin nieces (they were real cute though). First I took a hot shower for the steam. I had tried the cayenne remedy before but completely forgot (or blocked it out) until my boyfriend reminded me. I followed the instructions in your video pretty closely and did 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper in maybe 4 oz of warm water. I gargled the whole thing in separate gulps for 10 seconds each til it was gone. The great thing about this remedy is that the effect is tri-fold:

1) the (mild) discomfort of gargling cayenne water kind of makes you forget about the sore throat in the first place;

2) it relieves the soreness once you regain feeling in your throat; and

3) it completely clears out your sinuses (had to blow my nose several times and hocked up junk from my throat).

Two enthusiastic thumbs up.

Cayenne
Posted by Nateinmpls (Minneapolis, Minnesota) on 07/06/2015
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Cayenne works! My local co-op has some really hot stuff, with a much higher scoville rating than regular cayenne. At first I gargled by drinking out of a glass however my mouth was on fire! I then thought of this trick: Get a drinking straw and suck up some of the cayenne water, then use your finger to plug the end you drink from, creating a vacuum. The water stays in the straw and you can tilt your head back and bypass your tongue! It worked great and the cayenne has already helped my throat after 15 minutes. I used a little water at a time and swallowed afterward.

Cayenne
Posted by Abbadackerygirl (Alabama, US) on 02/05/2015
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

This is a true account on my part: I had been battling a particularly bad case of strep throat with antibiotics and motrin 'round the clock. I had read that cayenne can help strep, but I was skeptical so I didn't even try it.

After a week of continuing to feel miserable, I forced myself out of bed to go with my family out to eat at a restaurant, and for some reason, the vegetable soup sounded like the only thing I wanted. I had never eaten at this restaurant before, so little did I know that the soup was SPICY! I usually don't eat spicy things, but I forced myself to eat the soup...then something magical happened. With each painful bite, I could actually feel my strength returning. As I continued to eat the warm broth, my aches and pains subsided, and I felt better and better...way better than I had in a week! Why was this soup making me feel so good, I wondered? Then I remembered the suggestion to use cayenne pepper...and I wondered if the chef used it to spice up the soup. He insisted that he didn't, instead he used a hot sauce...a lot of it, lol. I asked if I could read what was on the bottle, so he ran to the back and grabbed it for me to read. When I looked at it, low and behold, the first ingredient was...cayenne pepper.

I was sold. This wasn't a case of the placebo effect, as all I wanted to do was eat. I didn't think that this soup would cure me when I ordered it, but in the end, it helped so much that I ended up naming it, the Magic Feel-Better Soup. Ha ha...I wonder if they changed the name after I called it that, but I haven't been back to check.

Cloves

Posted by Penny (USA) on 02/01/2006
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Whole cloves cure and numb sore throats. I carry cloves everywhere I go. At first sign of a sore throat, I place one or two between my cheek and teeth after crunching them just a little bit. This numbs the throat and kills the germs that cause the problem. If I awaken at night, even one clove can save me from a sore throat coming on, if I place it in my mouth in this manner. I had to tell my family, 'No, it does not stain my teeth. No, I never choke on it, and yes, I do sleep on my back, etc.'


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