Gargling refers to holding a liquid in your mouth or throat, tilting your head backwards and agitating it with air from your lungs. This procedure helps to cleanse or disinfect the oral cavity and remove the mucus buildup in your respiratory cavity.
Warm water gargling, with salt has been used around the world since ages and has been proven as an effective cure and remedy to heal and soothe a sore throat.
Let’s look into some of its benefits:
1. Brings the bacteria to the surface:
Salt water may help kill some bacteria, but definitely cannot kill all, but in turn it can bring the bacteria to the surface of the throat, when the person gargles. Once the bacteria have come to the surface, when the person spits it out after gargling, the bacteria are also thrown out.
2. Reduces pain and inflammation:
Salt has anti-inflammatory properties which can be helpful to relieve toothache, bleeding gums and reduce the inflammation. Salt water contains hypertonic properties (a solution with greater concentration or number of solute particles as compared to any other solution) and therefore can help in pain and inflammation reduction.
3. Acts as a lubricant:
Saltwater gargle can help moisturize the throat and act as a lubricant and soothe the irritation in the throat. It can keep your throat lubricated by drawing moisture from the surrounding tissues.
4. For blood flow and immune system:
The heat of the water helps the salt to dissolve and increases the blood flow in the throat, in turn aiding the immune system functioning to promote healing at a faster pace.
5. Sore throat:
A sore throat or scientifically known as ‘Pharyngitis’, is nothing but the inflammation of the pharynx (the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, located above the esophagus and trachea). A sore throat can be painful and can cause irritation especially when you swallow. A sore throat can make your mouth feel dry and itchy and make you feel like clearing your throat often. READ MORE – MORNING DETOX TEA RECIPES – burn fat and get clear skin
Ingredients:
- 1 glass of warm water
(around 250 ml) - 1 teaspoon of sea salt
(Or Himalayan rock salt)
Method:
Boil one glass of water (around 250 ml) and add the sea salt and let it dissolve completely. Let the water become warm, check the temperature before gargling as you can burn your throat.
Then for the gargle, once the water has become warm enough to put in your mouth, take a big sip of the salt water in your mouth, tilt your head backwards and gargle for around 30 to 40 seconds each time and spit it out (do not swallow), until you’ve finished all the water in the glass.
Tip 1: You can follow the same process for the gargle solution, but in addition to the salt you can also add in ½ a teaspoon of baking soda and mix well, before gargling.
Tip 2: You can follow the same process for the gargle solution, but in addition to the salt you can also add in ½ a teaspoon of organic turmeric powder and mix well, before gargling.
* You can do this practice even two times a day, till you begin to feel better, so that your throat remains moisturized. READ MORE – BANANA PEEL WATER for good sleep, natural fertilizer and more.
Caution:
- Do not overdo, as excessive salt content can make the tissues of your throat and mouth go dry.
- Do not swallow the salt water after gargling; make sure you spit it out.
- Be careful with younger children, as they can get choked if they cannot gargle effectively. So parental supervision is required for younger children and gargling should be advised to only those children old enough to gargle in the right mannser.
- Those with high blood pressure should be watchful of their sodium intake and can opt for other methods of sore throat relief.