recipe for salt water gargle sore tooth

How can such a seemingly simple solution of salt and water cure that sore throat? The answer lies within the very nature of salt. It's a natural dehydrator commonly used in food preservation and preparation. Its ability to draw out the water in foods is the reason pickles retain their tartness and crunch after months in a jar, and also how salmon lox is made.

While salt doesn't exactly pickle your throat, the same principle applies. A sore throat is usually inflamed due to bacteria and other germs wreaking havoc on your soft tissues or mucosa. These inflammations (known as edemas) are usually filled with water, and the salt works its way into your throat. Through osmosis, the salt draws out the edema fluid, killing the bacteria, which requires a warm, wet environment.

While the relief from pain and swelling is real, gargling with salt doesn't necessarily cure the ailment. Also, the principle of too much of a good thing can apply. While the warm water and salt grains dancing in your throat may feel good, too much salt can harm your mucosa. Gargle in moderation, then go see a doctor if your symptoms persist.

Isotonic saline (salt water that is about as salty as your body fluids)

1 teaspoon salt (table salt is fine)

1 teaspoon baking soda (NOT baking powder!)

1 pint of water (use distilled or filtered water if you have any concerns about the quality of your tap water.)

Comment: baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) improves the mucus-solvent properties of the irrigant. You can purchase sterile saline (available in the contact lens care section of any grocery store or pharmacy) but this is more expensive, of course, and does not have sodium bicarbonate.

Hypertonic saline (salt water that is saltier than your body fluids)

2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 pint of water

Comment: this solution is well-tolerated as an oral rinse, but you will find it to be more irritating than isotonic saline if you use it as a nasal irrigant. Nevertheless, it is safe and very effective as a nasal irrigant. In warm coastal communities (for example, Florida or other Gulf Coast states), many folks with sinus problems find that swimming in seawater helps them to heal faster. "Getting a noseful" of seawater is key– you don’t have to swim! In our area, the waters are too frigid for most people to tolerate a quick plunge in the ocean. This hypertonic saline irrigant is a very crude (but effective) approximation of seawater.

recipe for salt water gargle sore tooth