At one point or another, we’ve all woken up in the morning to find that our throat feels like sandpaper, we’ve lost our voice or we just feel like there’s goo settling in the back of our throat. Well, there are many reasons these things can happen. Let’s examine some common sore throat causes and more importantly, a few sore throat remedy ideas.

Causes

Tonsillitis is one common cause of sore throat. The tonsils may become irritated or they may be so inflamed that they need to be removed. That usually happens during childhood.

Laryngitis is another common cause and it can happen at any age. It usually occurs when the larynx becomes inflamed from overuse. For example, giving a long speech, singing at a concert (or being a screaming fan at one) or just yelling for a prolonged period of time for any reason can cause laryngitis. The result is that you lose your voice temporarily.

Viral or bacterial infections such as strep throat can cause sore throats, too. So can Mononucleosis, or glandular fever. Still another cause is Candida albicans, also known as oral thrush.

Medical Intervention

Some of the above causes need medical intervention. In fact, you should see a doctor about all of them if your own remedies don’t work after a day or so or if you have fevers, swelling or other symptoms. Your doctor can also help if your sore throat is a result of a medical treatment, such as chemotherapy.

Natural Home Remedy For Sore Throat Relief

Barring any of the above situations, there are many remedies you can use to treat your sore throat quickly and easily. The most common treatment is a concoction of honey tea. The honey can be mixed with a number of other ingredients, including ginger, lemon and/or apple cider vinegar.

Gargling is another common cure with many variations. One version involves gargling with salt water. It’s better not to actually swallow the salt water, especially since it doesn’t taste good. However, gargling with it can relieve pain and swelling and kill some bacteria.

Another gargle remedy is gargling with cayenne pepper. You can mix it in either orange juice or water. However, be careful. Cayenne is strong stuff. It can burn if you swallow or inhale it in large amounts. So, you should hold your breath while gargling with it and be sure to spit it all out, rather than swallowing it.

Finally, nothing says sore throat remedy like ice cream. Kids are often given ice cream after having their tonsils removed. That’s because the cold dulls the pain. You can also use Popsicles or ice cubes. In fact, ice cubes are better, since they don’t contain all that sugar.