A sore throat indicates that you have an inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, which could mean that you have pharyngitis or laryngitis. These are common ailments and usually happen due to allergies and infections. Injuries also cause an inflammation of the throat as you can sometimes experience after a long period of shouting or oratory. Treating a sore throat simply requires controlling the inflammation to the point where you are a bit more comfortable. If the sore throat is caused by infection however, you need to start taking antimicrobials. A sore throat is generally caused by a viral or a bacterial infection. One of the most important differences between a virus and a bacterium is that bacteria usually respond to antibiotics but viruses do not. Viral infections usually cause a fever for a period of a week or more and cannot be fought by any drugs. The only effective cure against a virus is allowing the body to destroy the pathogen. Usually, bacterial and viral infections rise and are common in winters or when there is a weather change.
Most of the bacterial sore throat infections are caused due to a bacterium named streptococcus. A very mild case of a sore throat, as when you injure your vocal cords after shouting, need not be treated and should be considered akin to wound healing. The only aspect of treatment for such cases is to avoid spicy foods as these may cause further irritation. However, if you symptoms like swollen tonsils, fever, headache, painful throat and difficulty in swallowing food or drinking water, then you have to deal with the inflammation. In some cases, a sore throat can also cause the lymph glands on the side of the neck to swell and thereby cause pain on the sides and back of the neck – a possible case of tonsillitis.
Bacterial infections can be fought with the use of antibiotics. One of the most effective home remedies is one teaspoon of coarsely powdered cinnamon, two teaspoons of honey boiled in a glass of water with a pinch of pepper powder. The fluid of mango bark can be used as a throat gargle when used in combination with warm water in the ratio of 1:12. Basil leaves when boiled with water can be used as a gargle to cure sore throat. You can also use an infusion of Bishop’s seeds with common salt in case of acute conditions of sore throat. Apart from this, you could boil sage leaves in water, cool it moderately, add vinegar and honey as per taste and then use this both as a gargle and for consumption as well. Try some of these homemade remedies and you will get rid of your sore throat.