With respiratory viruses on the rise across much of the U.S., you may find yourself struggling with a sore throat in the coming days.
But it can be a real challenge to figure out what exactly will help your sore throat finally go away. Fortunately, there’s one surprising home remedy you may not have tried: pickles.
Unlike many of the other cold and flu trends going viral on social media, pickles and pickle juice actually have some science to support their use, experts tell TODAY.com.
What are some common causes of a sore throat?
“Sore throats are most commonly caused by respiratory viruses,” Dr. Linda Yancey, an infectious diseases specialist at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, tells TODAY.com.
While strep throat, which is caused by bacteria, can also lead to a sore throat, only about 30% of kids and 10% of adults with a sore throat have strep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The rest of cases are usually due to a respiratory virus.
Allergies and smoking, as well as secondhand smoke, can also cause a sore throat, according to the CDC. In rare instances, a fungal infection or medications can also lead your throat to feel sore, Yancey says.
Signs of a sore throat include:
- A tickling sensation in the back of your throat
- A dry, scratchy throat
- Pain swallowing
- Coughing, usually due to post-nasal drip from a runny nose, which is a sign you do not have strep
Sore throat home remedies
One of the best ways to get fast relief for a sore through is to gargle or consume a substance that is more concentrated than the fluids in your body, which will draw the water out of the tissues, reducing swelling and some of the pain, Yancey explains. The following sore throat remedies provide temporary relief for this reason:
- Gargling salt water
- Eating a pickle or drinking pickle juice
- Eating a spoonful of honey
- Drinking a warm, sweet drink
- Sucking on cough drops
Pickles and pickle juice for sore throat
Pickle juice may work to soothe a sore throat…
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