Causes Of Sore Throat Pain: Home Remedies For Sore Throat Relief

Question: The right side of my throat is sore, when I stand and move.

Answer: We all know how terrible it is for a person to swallow his pride, but it is a real physical problem when simple swallowing of food, liquid or even saliva hurts. Sore throat is a feeling of scratching, burning, itching and pain inside the throat when a person tries to swallow. The condition in medical parlance is called pharyngitis, the inflammation of pharynx.

Sore throat is the earliest sign of cold and influenza. However, the condition can exist independently due to bacterial and viral infection.

Usually sore throat is a minor deviation of an individual’s healthy state and it improves in few days with home measures. Sometimes it occurs due to more serious bacterial infections such as strep germs where the person may require antibiotic treatment. The pain may be one sided or bilateral depending on severity.

What Causes Sore Throat Pain And Irritation?

There are several reasons for sore and painful throat and every person may have experienced an episode of soreness in his throat at some point in his life. Irritation and soreness in throat may result due to several factors.

Majority of them are minor, for example; it can be early symptom of impending cold and flu. A virus can independently invade the throat irrespective of producing symptoms of cold and flu, for example chickenpox, measles and croup.

  • On the other hand, bacterial infection such as streptococci infection can make swallowing not only difficult but person may have other systemic symptoms such as fever, headache, body ache, etc.
  • Among adults the most common cause is acid reflux.
  • Dryness of throat in winter is common occurrence in many people. The patient feels rough scratchy feeling especially in morning when he wakes up. Children often suffer from sore throat when they breathe through mouth.
  • Allergy to dust, pollen, dander, molds, smoke, fumes of chemicals can irritate the throat lining and lead to inflammation.
  • Soreness and hoarseness may also result from yelling, cheering at sports or talking loudly for prolonged time. All these exercises may cause strain to throat muscles and inflammation.
  • Sore throat is common in cigarette smokers.

Since the throat pain in your case occurs as a result of movement, the possibility of muscle strain is greater. Below are given important home measures that may be useful for treating sore throat.

Home Remedies For Sore Throat Relief

  • Cinnamon is the best remedy for sore throat. Mix together 1 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon with a spoon of honey and consume. Consuming 2 to 3 drops of cinnamon oil with honey is also effective.
  • Hot milk, to which turmeric powder has been added, is another beneficial and fast acting remedy, treating soreness in a matter of hours.
  • In case, the sore throat is due to acidity, make sure that you reduce the intake of spicy and highly seasoned foods. Never stay hungry for too long. Never lie down after a meal. After every meal consume a small piece of jaggery or 1 tablespoon of honey. It will ease out acid reflux and throat irritation.
  • Tamarind is another potent home remedy. Tamarind water gargle treats sore throat successfully. Gargles should be done thrice a day.
  • Salt water gargling is beneficial to reduce inflammation in throat. Mix one teaspoon of sea salt in a glass of warm water. Gargle it one or two times in a day. It gives relief in burning and scratching sensation.
  • Wrap your throat with warm chamomile poultice over the throat, it relieves discomfort. In absence of poultice plain warm water fomentation on outside of throat also alleviates the symptoms.