What helps on throat plague

[Pekka]

.. well it's not really a plague now is it. But my throat has been sore for two days now, or sohuld I say two nights. I have had problems sleeping, not proper sleeping that is, because when I swallow it hurts. I mean not like a pure evil pain but enough to not fall asleep at all.

A little swollen it is, but only very little. What are the tricks to heal my throat, I drank some tea but it's rubbish.

[Pekka]

Oh and I don't have any other sores or illnesses or nothing. JUst the sore throat. Little swollen, when not doing anything doesn't bother but when swallowing, hurts enough to keep me annoyed really, and not able to sleep because of it, so not just tiny little ache but not from satans archives either.

[SlowwHand]

Try gargling regularly with warm salt water, Pekka.

[Pekka]

what does this mean? I can only understand warm salt water. What is gargling? Also, how do I make salt water (yeah obviously salt in water but how much)?

[SlowwHand]

I don't mean a pund of it, but enough you can taste it.
Gargle, hmmm. To swirl around in throat, and kind of growl, then spit out.
Damn, this is hard.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/gargle

gar·gle (gärgl)
v. gar·gled, gar·gling, gar·gles
v.intr.
1. To force exhaled air through a liquid held in the back of the mouth, with the head tilted back, in order to cleanse or medicate the mouth or throat.
2. To produce the sound of gargling when speaking or singing.
v.tr.
1. To rinse or medicate (the mouth or throat) by gargling.
2. To circulate or apply (a medicine or solution) by gargling.
3. To utter with a gargling sound.
n.
1. A medicated solution for gargling.
2. A gargling sound.

[Pekka]

oh yeah gargle.. that's very descriptive word on itself, now that I know what it means.

So I figure I'll go with a normal glass size, warm water in it and tea spoon of salt. I figure that's good. Should I heat the water or is it enough to get warm from tap?

Also, should I do this many times or is one set of gargling enough? LIkei should I do it every half an hour or... are there rules to this? I have no idea..

[SlowwHand]

Warm water from tap is fine. Not boiling. WARM.
Do it until you notice improvement. Every hour or so. Even every 30, I guess would be fine.
There's no real standard, that I know of. I'm only a dumbass Texan.

Also, and I can't remember specifics, honey in some manner is said to help.
I usually do the salt water.

[Pekka]

Right, I tried the honey with my tea, figured it would help but not noticably..

Anyway I'll go try the salt water thing, thanks for the advice, it really is annyoing so hopefully this will be the one to make it go away.

And if anyone has alternative methods in mind, please post them too!

[SlowwHand]

Hope it gets better quickly.
I know it's a pain in the...well, in the throat.

[Urban Ranger]

Helps if you quit smoking.

[Bereta_Eder]

no it doesnt. if you quit smoking you'll cough like a phthisic.

[Japher]

tea with honey

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Try gargling regularly with warm salt water, Pekka.

lots of salt

[Japher]

gargling salt is for canker sores

[Pekka]

still hurts .. dont' want to go for 3rd sleepless night in a row.. I just might go crazy and kill something.