Introduction
When the body has to fight off pathogens in the context of a cold, there are a few tricks that can be used to alleviate the symptoms. Especially in the first days it is helpful to drink two to three liters and gargle regularly. Gargling is perceived as beneficial by many people. If you use the right liquid for gargling, it can even help kill bacteria and speed up the healing process. There are various means of gargling, ranging from home remedies to mouthwash.
Overview of the means for gargling
Thyme solution sage tea chamomile tea arnica tea saltwater lemon juice apple vinegar (with honey) coconut oil tea tree oil mint oil Chlorhexamed® Listerine
- Thyme solution
- Sage tea
- Camomile tea
- Arnica tea
- Saltwater
- Lemon juice
- Apple vinegar (with honey)
- Coconut oil
- Tea tree oil
- Mint oil
- Chlorhexamed®
- Listerine
Home remedy for gargling
For gargling you can use various household remedies. Common chamomile tea or sage tea is suitable. To gargle, let the tea steep longer than usual to make the solution more concentrated.
Lukewarm water with a few drops of mint oil or tea tree oil is also often used. A well-tried household remedy for gargling against sore throats is apple vinegar. For this, you put two teaspoons of apple vinegar and a tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm water.
The mixture is said to have an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect. All these household remedies should be warmed up lukewarm for gargling and not swallowed. Gargling with salt water is a tried and tested household remedy for sore throats.
Common salt is found in most households and is very cheap. In order to produce a suitable salt water for gargling, one gives a teaspoonful of common salt into a container with 1⁄4 liters of warm water. The salt water moistens the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat area and also has a disinfecting effect.
It is very well suited to relieve cold complaints such as sore throats. You should gargle a sip of salt water every two to three hours. It is best to gargle for about two minutes and spit out the salt water after gargling.
In case of injuries such as wounds in the oral cavity, salt water should be avoided, since salt water burns in open wounds. For injuries in the mouth and throat area, gargling with sage tea can be tried as a soothing alternative. Listerine® mouthwashes recommend daily use to keep the mouth healthy.
The mouthrinses have an antibacterial effect and are said to kill up to 97% of bacteria. They can be used for daily oral hygiene and can be gargled for half a minute to a minute and then spit out. Listerine® mouthwashes are also suitable for gargling in cases of sore throats, coughs and colds.
As they have an antibacterial effect, they can prevent illnesses and, in the case of a cold, they can ease the progression and symptoms. Apple vinegar is a well-tried household remedy for gargling, which has been used for many generations. Two teaspoons of cider vinegar and one tablespoon of honey are put into a glass of warm water and gargled every 2 hours.
Apple cider vinegar is particularly popular because it has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect. It is also an inexpensive remedy that can be found in most households. Coconut oil has an antibacterial effect in the mouth.
The “oil extraction” with coconut oil is an ayurvedic cleaning method of the mouth and can be tried as an alternative to gargling. To do this, take a tablespoon of coconut oil in the mouth and rinse the oil back and forth. While doing so, you pull, suck and rinse the oil between your teeth and let the oil work on different parts of the oral cavity.
The oil extraction is performed for up to 20 minutes. Tea tree oil contains essential oils and valuable active ingredients such as terpinene and cineol. Thus it has a strong anti-inflammatory effect and promotes wound healing of the skin and mucous membranes.
Tea tree oil is well suited for gargling in case of cold complaints, irritations or wounds in the nasopharynx and gums. For this purpose, three to 5 drops of tea tree oil are put into a glass of lukewarm water. Gargle the tea tree oil solution for one to two minutes and spit it out afterwards.
Tea tree oil is basically very gentle on the tissue and wound-healing. In rare cases, however, it can cause allergic reactions. Before gargling, a small amount of pure tea tree oil should be applied to the skin.
If the test is without symptoms, nothing will stand in the way of gargling. Tea tree oil should always be dissolved in water and never used pure for gargling.Sage tea is beneficial for the neck and has a positive effect on the oral mucosa. Sage tans the inflamed oral mucosa and soothes irritations of the mucous membranes.
It is recommended to gargle with lukewarm sage tea several times a day, preferably every two hours. To obtain a strong solution, the sage tea should be steeped longer than usual. Chlorhexamed® is an antiseptic against numerous bacteria and fungi.
It can be used to prevent infections or to treat an existing infection. It can be bought over the counter in pharmacies and drugstores. Areas of application are all inflammations in the mouth and throat area as well as tonsillitis, dental inflammation, fungal infections and injuries in the mouth and throat area.
Fill the Chlorhexamed® into the cap up to the mark and gargle after meals for about one minute. ®Hydrogen peroxide is available in every pharmacy and is used, for example, to disinfect wounds. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a germicidal agent that can be used for various purposes.
For gargling, hydrogen peroxide is mixed in equal parts with lukewarm water. The liquid is gargled every 2 hours for about 2 minutes. The mixture is not swallowed, but spat out after gargling.
The hydrogen peroxide mixture kills bacteria. It serves to prevent flu and colds and alleviates the symptoms in case of illness. It is a kind of natural disinfectant. Before using it, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist to ensure correct use.
