Sore throat is a very common throat infection that can surface any time of the year. When kids get sore throat, it can be a painstaking experience to manage them, as they can get increasingly cranky and difficult to deal with.
Sore throats are mostly due to bacterial or viral infection passed on through saliva and coughing of infected people. Though not a serious condition, if left untreated, it can also lead to serious respiratory illnesses. Here are some home remedies suitable for sore throat in kids.
Natural Remedies For Sore Throat In Kids
Honey
Honey is one of the best and delightful remedies that can help treat a sore throat in kids. Due to its sweet taste, it is also easy to make kids drink honey. Give your child one teaspoon of organic honey in the morning.
You can also add honey to a glass of warm water to soothe and moisturize the throat. Repeat 2-3 times a day. Honey helps in soothing and healing the throat and also reduces the soreness and itchiness of the throat.
Gargling
Gargling is one of the oldest remedies that have been in use for treating sore throat in kids as well as adults. Salt is an antibacterial and healing agent and helps in treating the sore throat naturally.
Take one cup of warm water and add half a teaspoon of salt to this. Help the kid to gargle with this water, taking care that he/she gargles properly and the water has reached the sore areas of the throat. Repeat several times for fast relief.
Steaming
Steaming too can help in healing the sore throat and also keeping it well moisturized. Use a steamer or a pot of boiling water for this purpose. Steam through the mouth by inhaling deeply so that the steam reaches the sore areas of the throat and heals it completely.
Steam for at least ten minutes and make your child do it at least twice a day. It could be difficult to make them do the inhaling part and also to make them sit still in the hot steam for even ten minutes. You might want to join them in the steaming process to make them more comfortable.
Garlic
Garlic is an antibacterial agent and call kill the bacteria and virus behind the sore throat. Take a few cloves of garlic and crush to form a paste. This can be added to boiling water and simmered for ten minutes.
Let the infusion become warm before you give it to your child. Garlic can also be added to a freshly prepared vegetable juice like a tomato or carrot juice or any other juice of your kid’s choice.
Turmeric
Drinking a glass of warm water with a teaspoon of freshly ground turmeric too will help in healing a sore throat and cough. Turmeric can be added to a glass of warm milk before bedtime to ease your kids sore throat and heal it by morning.
You may also sprinkle turmeric powder to your child’s favorite cereal or drink.
Ginger
Ginger is another simple remedy that can take care of sore throat. For older kids, a piece of ginger can be given for chewing and swallowing the juice slowly to initiate the healing process.
For smaller kids, ginger tea can be prepared by adding a piece of crushed ginger to a cup of boiling water. Simmer for ten minutes and sweeten with honey before giving. This will heal the sore throat.
Pepper And Coriander
Pepper and coriander too are strong remedies for sore throat and cough. For making an infusion with pepper and coriander, grind some pepper berries and coriander seeds and add a small piece of crushed ginger as well.
Simmer all these ingredients along with a glass of water for ten minutes. Cool and give your child 3-4 times a day for healing the throat
Lemon Juice
Lemon is replete with vitamin C and antioxidants and is an excellent remedy for removing mucus from the system. Lemon juice can be added to a cup of water and sweetened with honey or sugar and given to children several times a day for easing sore throats and cough associated with it.
The vitamin C in lemon is also excellent for boosting the immunity and reducing the severity of the infection.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a safe remedy that can be used in kids for treating sore throat. Take one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and add to a cup of warm water.
Give this to your child for killing the bacterial action in the throat and also for healing the soreness of the throat.
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Hot Fluids
Anything that is taken fairly hot can have a steaming effect on the throat and hence good for healing a sore throat. Take a hot tea, coffee or a juice like lemon juice mixed with hot water and salt to heal the soreness of the throat without other medications.However, care has to be taken when you give hot fluids to kids. Ensure that it is not too hot that it burns their mouth and throat.
Hard Candy
Kids generally tend to love things that are sweet and when they get a sore throat, it is the perfect excuse for sucking on hard candies. Sugar is supposed to be a healing remedy for sore throats and hence good when your child has sore throat.
Sucking on a hard candy will also help in keeping the throat moist and this will ease the symptoms of sore throat naturally. If you are not convinced, you can give a sugarless variety of candy for sucking.
Juice Bars
When you have a sore throat, the throat burns and is hot and the first impulse is to avoid giving anything cold to the kid. But allowing your child to feast on a cold juice bar will actually give him/her great relief from the burning throat and help in the healing process greatly.
Allow your kid to bite on a juice bar and let it melt in his/her mouth. The cool and sweet taste of the juice bar will ease the symptoms of sore throat to a great extent.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.