Throat Infection
Throat infections can be caused by bacteria or viruses. Strep throat is the most common infection of the throat that is caused by streptococcal bacteria. Viral infections like Epstein-Barr can cause glandular fever and tonsillitis.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a infections include a sore throat, difficulty swallowing and possibly fever. Infections that have really taken hold give you an overall sense of weakness and fatigue.
Causes
Throat infections can be caused by both bacteria and viruses. Some are mild, and others should be treated very seriously.
Cautions
Strep throat can lead to rheumatic fever, which in turn can cause heart valve problems or kidney inflammation.
Herbal Treatments
Internal Applications
- Garlic eat fresh cloves every day or add them to your food. Garlic pills are also available, but if you can't smell the garlic, it is missing the all-important allicin, which is what kills viruses and bacteria.
- Ginger drink ginger tea to relieve throat infections.
- Marjoram this herb helps kill bacteria and viral organisms. Make a tea and add a little lemon and honey to soothe the throat while treating the infection.
- Echinacea take this herb to boost the immune system and treat infections in the body.
- Lemon take the juice of one lemon, add a tablespoon of honey and a dash of ground ginger. Stir well and microwave it for half a minute. This mixture soothes sore throat, helps treat the infection and tastes good.
- Tea drink hot black or green tea with honey to help relieve sore throat and infection. Lemon can also be added.
External Applications
- Cardamom gargle with an infusion made with this herb to relieve a throat problem. This herb is a good choice when dealing with serious infections.
- Cayenne gargle with an eighth of a teaspoon of cayenne added to a glass of water to treat sore throats. If you can't stand hot spices, add it to some pulpy orange juice and drink it. The cayenne binds to the pulp and it can't be tasted.
- Raspberry leaf make a tea from red raspberry leaf and add half a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to it. Use the mixture to gargle with. This mixture helps get the infection out.
- Cloves place two whole cloves in your mouth and suck on them. Bite them slightly to release the oil from the cloves. Keep the cloves in your mouth for about an hour. Do this three times per day.
- Myrrh make a gargle out of myrrh tincture and warm water. Gargle with this mixture and then rinse just your mouth with some water.
- Oregano put 4 drops of oil of oregano into a cup of warm water. Gargle with this mixture. It is okay if some gets swallowed.
- Pineapple gargle with pineapple juice to get rid of the symptoms and treat the infection.
- Spearmint add 2 teaspoons of spearmint oil to a cup of water and gargle. Repeat as needed to relieve pain.
- Tea tree oil use this oil diluted in water or buy tea tree oil mouthwash and use it to gargle 3 or 4 times per day.