Viral infections like cold and influenza are often accompanied by sore throat or tonsillitis, which mean swelling up of tonsils causing irritation and pain at the back of the throat. If you have sore throat you will experience symptoms like cold and fever, body pain, ear ache, pain while swallowing, lymph glands swelling up and becoming tender. First and foremost, make sure the infection doesn’t worsen. Eat a balanced diet containing green leafy vegetables, whole wheat grain and fruits. At all costs avoid fried food and foods with cold propensity - bananas, grapes, watermelon and yogurt being some of them. Keep yourself snug and warm and avoid washing your hair till you are better.
Mostly you will find treatments for sore throat right in your kitchen and cupboard. Other than increasing the consumption of fresh orange and lemon juice, you can gargle with warm water and salt several times every day to cure sore throat. Basil leaves are also known for their medicinal value in curing cold, fever and throat related problems. Boil 10-15 leaves in a glass of water, draining it and drink thrice every day to get instant relief. Another decoction is plain tea leaves boiled in water. Strain the mixture and consume it in small sips or even gargle with it. If you have sore throat caused by cold, cinnamon may just be the right thing for you as it is a good healer of sore throat. In a glass of lukewarm water, add one teaspoon of black pepper, honey and cinnamon powder each and drink in small sips. You can also make emergency gargle from blackcurrant or blackberry jam for instant relief. Take one of these in a cup of hot water and gargle after straining it. Ironically, though sour things are to be avoided in sore throats, tamarind is one of the treatments used too. Steep a handful of tamarind in two glasses of water and let it stay for a while. Remove the water and gargle with it. Another way of using tamarind is drying and powdering its leaves and mixing it in a glass of warm water. Then gargle with the water twice a day till your sore throat is cured. Turmeric is also very good for treating sore throat. You can mix ½ a teaspoon in a cup of warm milk and drink it or you can also gargle with a mixture of 1 cup hot water, ½ teaspoon turmeric and ½ teaspoon salt.
answered by G M