Since our throat is actually in a form between cartilage and muscle, it is covered with a kind of sticky liquid called mucous in order to feel smoother while eating or breathing and to slow down its deformation. The mucous layer, of which we can see a very small sample, inside our mouth, on our palate, is located on the inside of our throat. However, from time to time, this mucous layer may become inflamed and swollen due to various diseases, and may even be permanently damaged as a result of some advanced febrile diseases. A sore throat can sometimes cause a very serious cough, although it disrupts some of our vital activities, especially eating and breathing.
What Causes Cough?
Cough usually manifests itself as a symptom of some kind of disease that is forming in the throat. But of course, this relationship can also be the other way around. Severe coughing for a while may cause sore throat due to reasons such as smoking or breathing polluted air for a long time. Although this is not a medical classification, it is possible to distinguish two types of cough: dry cough and cough with phlegm.
A dry cough is the number one symptom of chronic allergies such as spring allergies. In addition, a dry cough that lasts for a long time and bothers especially at night usually occurs as a result of upper respiratory tract infection. In addition, living in places with microbes and polluted air damages the lungs and causes a dry cough in regular ways. Dry cough occurs in professions based on continuous speech, such as teaching, due to both continuous talking and low fluid consumption.
The fluid called sputum is actually the mucous layer of the throat that traps inflammation, viruses and microbes. Our body uses cough, which is a natural reflex, to remove these harmful substances from the body. Therefore, cough with phlegm usually occurs as a result of inflammatory respiratory tract and lung diseases such as sinusitis and bronchitis. In addition to these, the use of cigarettes, which are known to contain various harmful substances, can also cause a cough with phlegm.
Unfortunately, at the point of cough relief, we cannot answer the question of what stops the cough immediately. Because in order to be treated, the type and cause of cough must be determined first.
What Causes Sore Throat?
If cough is not the cause or symptom of a sore throat, it is most likely caused by diseases of the lungs or stomach. The first symptom of reflux, which is an inflammation of the lungs or a disease that occurs in the stomach, is usually a sore throat.
If a sore throat doesn’t just cause itching and discomfort, but also causes swallowing problems, you may have a throat infection. Unfortunately, it is not possible to understand this throat infection, which can be viral or bacterial, without a doctor. If you say what’s good for a sore throat, you can’t swallow, and you have a few of the following symptoms, you should see a doctor and seek medication without wasting time.
Viral throat infection symptoms:
- Congestion in the throat that makes it difficult to breathe and thickens the voice
- Severe pain in the forehead, in the area of the sinuses
- A dryness that leads to constant drinking water but does not go away
Symptoms of bacterial throat infection:
- Headache
- High fever
- Dry cough, especially at night
- Nausea
What Is Good For Sore Throat?
If sore throat is caused by some kind of throat infection, medical means should be sought to relieve the pain. However, in other cases, both the sore throat and the symptoms it causes can be relieved with some methods and natural herbs.
1. Steam Bath
Hot air helps to relieve the hardness of the mucous layer that causes sore throat. Hot water does not have this effect directly, because the bacteria in the throat generally multiply faster, let alone disappear in hot environments.
All you need for a sore throat with a steam bath is a bowl, a towel and some hot water. Cover your head with a towel, carefully inhaling the hot water you have poured into the bowl. Thus, the steam will be trapped inside the towel and it will be easier for you to breathe it. As you take deep breaths, the steam that fills your windpipe will help relieve your sore throat. However, it is recommended that you do not exceed 10 minutes while applying this method.
Foods That Are Good For Sore Throat
1. Ginger
If you think that it is good for sore throat, you cannot swallow, ginger can cure your problem. Ginger is one of the best herbs for sore throat. While its pungent smell and taste make it easier to breathe, it also helps relieve sore throat.
You can directly swallow a teaspoon of ginger, which you add to a teaspoon of honey, or you can prepare a kind of mixture to mix with herbal teas. For this, after slicing a piece of fresh ginger square by square, mix it with 2 tablespoons of honey and leave it in a jar with a lid for 2 days. The gingers that release their juice will soften the consistency of the honey and will allow you to obtain a mixture of liquid and paste consistency. You can use this ginger-honey mixture by mixing it with herbal teas such as linden and chamomile.
2. Echinacea
Although it is not well known in our country, echinacea is a plant that is frequently used in the treatment of respiratory diseases.
Echinacea lozenges or natural remedies sold in pharmacies can be good for sore throat. Apart from this, 1 teaspoon of echinacea, which you will brew with 1 teaspoon of sage, will be a herbal tea that will greatly improve your sore throat.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a very beneficial product for health as it is obtained naturally and does not contain any additives.
If you add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm water and drink it, it will be good for your sore throat. In fact, you can make this benefit permanent by mixing a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into every 0.5 liters of water you drink in your daily life.
4. Honey
Honey has been known for centuries for its soothing properties of sore throat. Since honey is very good for sore throat, there is no special method of use in this regard. You can eat it directly by spooning, drizzle over your food or use honey to sweeten your teas. Adding honey to your daily consumption will help relieve sore throat.
5. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a plant that delays the occurrence of diseases with its antioxidant properties. It also helps to remove bacteria and viruses that cause sore throat from the body.
When you add half a teaspoon of cinnamon and half a teaspoon of turmeric to a tablespoon of honey and eat it, you will see that your sore throat is relieved. You can also use cinnamon on your desserts or in your herbal teas.
6. Black pepper
Black pepper has been used in treatment for many years because it is a very healing spice. The answer of our elders to the question of what is good for dry cough will probably be black pepper.
You can swallow a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of black pepper after mixing well. Although the taste is not very pleasant, black pepper will help relieve the inflammation in the throat after a few uses. If the taste bothers you a lot, you can mix it into a glass of warm milk after preparing the mixture in the same way. However, let’s say that it may take longer for the cough to go away, as you will reduce its intensity in this way.
7. Mulberry Molasses
When we are asked what is good for cough at home, we can answer mulberry molasses, which is found in almost every home. Molasses can also be made from grapes, but it is only molasses made from mulberry, which has a healing effect on dry cough. Mulberry molasses, which does not only cure cough, also provides the healing of respiratory diseases that cause cough in the first stage.
1 or 2 tablespoons of mulberry molasses that you drink every day will be good for cough.
8. Linden
The answer to the question of what stops the cough immediately is, of course, linden!
For each glass of linden you want to drink, brew a handful of dried linden with one measure of water. You can also drink it by adding cinnamon to increase immunity or honey to soften your throat. When you drink it a few times, you can see that it is good for your dry cough. But the thing to note about linden and other hot teas is that they shouldn’t be too hot when you drink them. You should drink it lukewarm because hot drinks can have the opposite effect by giving the bacteria that causes coughing in the throat the opportunity to reproduce faster.
9. Thyme
Thyme spice is also good for dry cough. However, since it is difficult to show this effect in its spice form, you can mix a few sprigs of thyme as a fresh herb into a glass of hot water and drink it after preparing a kind of tea. Although this is perhaps the worst-tasting mixture we can give to the question of how to stop a dry cough, thyme will show its effect quickly.
10. Salt
All salts, especially sea salt, have antibacterial properties. That’s why salts are good for a cough with phlegm, as they help get rid of the bacteria that cause phlegm in the first place.
You can gargle after mixing half a teaspoon of salt into a glass of warm water. But be careful not to swallow, as salt can hurt your already irritated throat if you do.
11. Lemon
Lemon, which is one of the natural foods with the highest acid content, can actually aggravate cough in the first stage instead of curing it. However, when we ask what is good for cough with phlegm in the long run, we can definitely give the answer of lemon, as this allows sputum to be expelled.
You can mix 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into a glass of warm water and drink it. If it tastes too sour, you can also add a teaspoon of honey to sweeten it. As a second method, if you can stand it, you can slice the lemon and suck it directly. Although this method is more difficult in terms of taste, it is more effective than mixing it with water.
Sore Throat in Children
Sore throat in infants and children, unlike adults, is not usually caused by a particular disease. Since bacterial cultures are not yet fully developed, their bodies try to distinguish between beneficial and harmful bacteria, and at this stage, they try to cough up some bacteria because they adhere to the mucous layer of the throat. Gaming etc. The sore throat of children, who are in a variety of places more than an adult for reasons, can also be caused by the dust they breathe there.
At this point, the answer to the questions of what is good for a child’s sore throat or what is good for cough in children is not considered much different from that of adults. Since the methods and plants we have described above are natural, they do not cause any harm to children. Only apple cider vinegar and black pepper may be foods that children do not want to consume because they do not suit their taste buds.
The fact that sore throat and related cough in children cannot be treated naturally or if it lasts longer than 3-4 weeks and becomes chronic indicates that medical attention should be sought. If high fever and cough are not the symptoms of the disease, the following diseases are suspected.
- allergic bronchial asthma
- allergic rhinitis
- atopic dermatitis
Whether the child has these diseases or not, which ones, and the necessary treatment method cannot be determined by the parents. You should see a doctor as soon as possible and get treatment. Untreated or neglected allergic reactions can be life-threatening.