Application: How do you gargle?

When using salt water for gargling, please note that the salt must be completely dissolved in the water.To gargle, take a sip of the gargle solution in your mouth without swallowing it. Place the head in the neck and let the solution run down the upper part of the throat. To prevent it from entering the stomach, or even worse, the lungs, you breathe out through the mouth.

This creates bubbles and the typical gargling sound. You can let the solution run down the throat as deep as you can without swallowing. After gargling, the liquid is not swallowed, but spat out and not used again.

You can always use some of the salted water to gargle for a few days. Gargling with salt water is not a long matter. It should be gargled with the salt water for about one to about three minutes.

The duration of the minutes depends a little bit on how easy it is for different people to gargle. In general it is better to gargle more often than once or twice a day for short intervals of time rather than very long ones. The frequency how often you should gargle with salt water depends on the needs of the person concerned.

It is therefore not possible to give a blanket statement. In case of an acute cold, however, it is recommended to gargle with the salt water at least three times a day. If necessary, this can be extended to every 2 to 3 hours, so that you can gargle about 6 to 8 times a day. It is advisable to pay attention to how the body reacts to gargling with salt water and adjust the frequency accordingly.

Are there any side effects to consider?

When gargling with salt water, it is generally important to make sure that you do not swallow any of the salt solution. Salt water is not harmful in small quantities, but you should not swallow too much of it. Too much salt hits the stomach and can cause nausea and vomiting.

In addition, too much salt damages the kidneys in the long run and upsets the water balance of the cells. It is also important to make sure that you do not swallow salt. This would mean that salt water would enter the lungs.

It is therefore important that when you gargle, you concentrate and are not distracted. If you already have a very strong and painful inflammation in your throat or pharynx, gargling with salt water can additionally irritate the mucous membrane. This then manifests itself as a strong burning sensation. If this side effect occurs, gargling is rather not recommended.