It’s hard to see your little one suffer! Make them feel better with these easy sore throat home remedies.
Sore throat usually refers to a painful, itchy sensation inside the throat. It can cause pain while swallowing foods and drinks.
Children are very prone to this ailment and it often leaves them feeling uncomfortable and unable to sleep.
Sore Throat Remedies For Children
There are many home remedies to make children feel a bit more comfortable. The most effective and practical sore throat remedies are:
- Rest and hydrate- Whenever you feel your child is coming down with a cold or a sore throat make sure that they drink plenty of water and get lots of sleep. Sleep and rest will give time for the body to heal. Water will flush the bacteria and viruses out of the body quickly.
- Honey in warm tea- A warm cup of tea with some honey in it is perfect as a drink and it also helps with nighttime coughing. Honey is said to have some natural healing properties that help sore throats.
- Gargle with warm water- Put a pinch of salt in some warm water and use that to gargle. This helps kill bacteria in the child’s throat and reduces the inflammation of a sore throat.
- Chamomile tea- Chamomile tea has many health benefits. It has anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that heal a sore throat. It also helps the child a good night’s sleep so that their body can recuperate.
- A drink of diluted apple cider vinegar- Apple cider vinegar is used as a home remedy for many common ailments because it has lots of anti-bacterial properties. But apple cider vinegar cannot be consumed directly. Mix one or two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a cup of water and then ask your child to gargle with it. The child can also take a small sip of this diluted apple cider vinegar mixture. But never consume apple cider vinegar directly.
- Garlic- Garlic has many anti-bacterial properties. Sucking on a clove of garlic is supposed to help with a sore throat. But wash your child’s mouth immediately afterwards to protect their teeth and prevent their breath from smelling bad.
- Cough drops or candies- there are some common over-the-counter cough drops or hard candies which help soothe a sore throat. But parents of children with allergies must be very careful while buying these.
- Serve soft foods- Make sure that all the nutritional needs of your child are met. A child will a sore throat will not be very keen to eat, so make sure to serve them soft foods which they can swallow easily.
- Check for a fever- Sore throats are often accompanied by a cold. So keep a thermometer at home and measure your child’s temperature at regular intervals.
- Consult a doctor – Be alert and make sure that your child is not in too much pain or discomfort. If for any reason you suspect that there is something out of the ordinary immediately take your child to a pediatrician.
Caring for infants
Infants can also get a sore throat. But treating an infant’s sore throat is a bit different:
- Keeping a humidifier in the infant’s room helps them breathe better when they have a sore throat and a stuffed nose
- Infants can get dehydrated very quickly so always make sure that they ingest plenty of liquids. But citric fruit juices can aggravate a sore throat
- Avoid cough drops or cough candies for infants. This can be a choking hazard for them.
- Avoid another common sore throat remedy, honey, for infants below the age of 1.
- Don’t self-medicate your infants. Never give your infants any medicines that have not been prescribed by a doctor
- Be vigilant. In infants, a sore throat can be a symptom of some underlying illness like whooping cough or strep throat. If the child becomes weak or develops a high fever or experiences breathing trouble immediately consult a doctor. Also, consult a doctor if a cough or sore throat persists for more than a few days.
Sore throats can usually be treated at home. But in case of any irregularities, it is best to consult a doctor and get proper doctor-recommended medications.
