When your throat gets the telltale tickle of soreness, you’ll first want to be sure it’s not a serious infection. Strep throat is usually accompanied by a fever (101 degrees F or higher) along with large, swollen and tender neck lymph nodes, and should be promptly tested – and if positive, treated with antibiotics. Many sore throats, especially those that are mild or come with sinus congestion, require only a little time and some rest to heal. The following remedies can help stave off and lessen the discomfort of sore throats:

1. Boost your immune system. Herbs such as echinacea can help keep your immune system running well. Begin taking as soon as you feel a problem coming on or have been around someone with an illness and use until the soreness resolves.
2. Drink plenty of hot liquids. A good quality herbal or green tea sipped throughout the day can soothe a sore throat, as can hot water with lemon (which provides an additional vitamin C boost) and chicken soup, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Feel free to add some freshly chopped garlic as well for an added antiviral “kick.”
3. Soothe your throat with natural lozenges. Slippery elm lozenges can soothe the pain and (sometimes) inflammation of a sore throat. Propolis, a bee byproduct, has antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties (avoid if you are allergic to bees).
4. Gargle. Using warm liquids to gargle can help encourage blood flow and heal inflamed tissues. Salt water is a good choice: mix one-quarter teaspoon of salt into one cup of the hottest water you can stand and gargle up to four times a day. You can make the solution stronger by adding goldenseal – try one-half teaspoon – and some red pepper to taste. Another option is to mix equal amounts of hydrogen peroxide and hot water.

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