Sore throats are very common and most people at one point in time have had to deal with a sore throat. Most are caused by minor illnesses such as colds or flu and can be treated at home. They normally get better within a week but can be quite irritating. People looking for simple everyday remedies for a sore throat have found that some herbs help to soothe the throat and speed up recovery. Below are a list of some of these herbs:
- Acacia Gum. Gum arabic. Acacia senegal – sore throat (gargle)
- Amaranth. Love-lies-bleeding. Amaranthus hypochondriacus L – sore throat (gargle)
- Myrrh. Balsamodendron myrrh, Commiphora molmol – infective sore throat
- Balm of Gilead. Poplar buds. Populus gileadensis – for coughs, colds and sore throats
- Bilberry. Huckleberry. Vaccinum myrtillus – sore throat (gargle)
- Blackberry. Rubus villosus – sore throat (gargle)
- Black Currant. Ribes nigrum – sore throat (tea used as a gargle)
- Catechu, Black. Acacia catechu – mouth ulcer, spongy and bleeding gums (mouth wash), sore throat (gargle)
- Chamomile Flowers (German). Wild Chamomile. Matricaria recutita – sore throat and mouth
- Chestnut, Sweet. Spanish chestnut. Castanea sativa – sore throat (gargle), dry violent spasmodic coughs (whooping cough, croup)
- Corydalis. Stagger-weed. Root. Corydalis cava – sore throat of syphilis
- Cudweed, Marsh. Gnaphalium uliginosum – sore throat, tonsillitis, pharyngitis (tea used as a gargle every 2 hours), whooping cough
- Eucalyptus. Blue gum tree. Eucalyptus globulus – colds, sinusitis, sore throat and respiratory disorders
- Eyebright. Bright-eye. Birds-eye. Euphrasia officinalis – relax tonsils and sore throat (gargle)
- Fleabane. Canada fleabane. Erigeron canadensis – sore throat
- Hyssop. Hyssopus officinalis – bronchitis, colds, catarrh, sore throat
- Ipecacuanha Root. Cephaelis ipecacuanha – sore throat, whooping cough
- Labrador Tea. St James tea. Wild Rosemary. Ledum Latifolium, Jacq. – inflamed or malignant sore throat
- Lemon. Citrus limonum – sore throat (gargle)
- Lungwort. Pulmonaria officinalis L, Lobaria pulmonaria L – laryngitis, sore throat, children’s dry cough, whooping cough
- Maidenhair Fern. Venus hair. Adiantum capillus-veneris – coughs, sore throat, bronchitis
- Oak. English oak. Quercus robur – sore throat, tonsillitis (gargle and mouth-wash)
- Orris Root. Wild purple flag. Iris florentina L, Iris germanica L – sore throat, coughs
Decoction of Blackberry Root Bark.
Ingredients:
2 ounces Blackberry Root Bark (out)
1 quart distilled water
Direction:
Boil the above for 15 minutes, strain, cool and bottle. Keep in a cool place.
Dose:
One wineglassful 3 or 4 times a day, between meals. Children: Less according to age.
Other things to do
In addition to using the herbs, here are some other things to observe:
- gargle with a homemade mouthwash of warm, salty water
- drink plenty of cool or warm fluids, and avoid hot drinks, especially very hot
- eat cool, soft foods
- avoid smoking
- avoid smoky and dusty places
- suck ice cubes or ice lollies (note: don’t give young children anything that would risk choking)
References
Bartram’s Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Thomas Bartram
Advanced Treatise in Herbology by Dr. Edward Shook
nhs.uk
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