Have you ever had the feeling that your throat has turned into a tunnel lined by barbed wires? Have you ever had the feeling that everything that passes through your throat causes so much pain that you wonder whether it is a good idea to permanently shift on I/V fluids? According to grannies' wisdom the miracle cure for a horrible sore throat is salt water gargles. Let’s have a look at how to make and gargle with this solution.

How to Make Salt Water

Mothers all across the globe swear by the efficacy of this simple solution. It immediately soothes the irritated throat, and washes away extra mucous and germs lining the walls of throat. Therefore, it speeds up the healing process and boosts the immune system.

The right way is to thoroughly mix ½ to ¾ teaspoon of regular salt in a cup of warm water. Stir till it gets completely dissolved. There is no hard and fast rule of how much water should be used for gargles or how many times you need to gargle in a day. It all depends on your own comfort level and there are no side effects associated with it.

Choose the Right Water

Making salt water is very simple and just two ingredients are needed water and salt. Care must be taken to use chlorine free water because chlorine can damage your throat. Tap water not from a well always contains chlorine, so it is advisable to use bottled or filtered water instead of tap water. The water temperature should be warm for better soothing effect.

How to Use Salt Water: Gargle and Rinse

How to make salt water is the first step, you should know how to use them. Now let's find out how to get the best results:

Gargle with Salt Water

Most of us know the way to keep the fluid in mouth without swallowing it and making the gargle sounds. If you have never done it, it is very easy to learn.

To gargle effectively, take a gulp of salt water and tilt your head a little back. The most important thing is to keep the water in mouth without swallowing it. 20-30 seconds are enough for a gargle. The process can be repeated as many times as you feel comfortable with.

For Children: Gargling can be a challenge for kids and young people who have never gargled before. It can be learned easily by starting with plain water and gradually shifting to salt water. In order to help them gargle for 30 seconds, you can encourage them to think about their favorite nursery rhyme or song when they are gargling.

Rinse Nose

This salt water can be used to rinse and effectively open up a blocked nose. First, make sure that the temperature is right, a little warm but never hot. With the help of a syringe or a small nasal spray bottle especially for kids, pour some salt water in your nasal cavity. Make sure that the direction of spray is towards the back of the head. Some of the water will trickle in your mouth which can be spitted and causes no harm in swallowing with that small amount.

How Does Salt Water Benefit Us?

You have known how to make salt water and use it, but why do we use it? Now let's look at the main benefits that salt water brings to us:

1. Relieve Sore Throat

Salt water gargles are tried and tested for ages to relieve sore throat due to cough and cold. They make the congested throat better by washing away the nasty germs, allergens and mucous and salt water is very effective in reducing inflammation. These factors make it an ideal choice as a fast remedy for sore throat.

2. Fight Tooth Sensitivity

Tooth sensitivity is caused by bacteria, which produce cavities. These bacteria live and thrive on the teeth and gums in the form of plaque. Salt water helps to remove the plaque and its antibiotic properties help to keep the oral cavity and teeth healthy.

3. Ease Tonsillitis Pain

Tonsillitis pain is very severe and is caused by swelling and inflammation of tonsils and areas surrounding throat. Salt water helps to reduce the pain by decreasing the swelling and reducing inflammation. It also helps to kill the bacteria because of its antiseptic properties.

4. Other Benefits

There are other benefits that you have to know since you have learned how to make salt water, and gargle and rinse with salt water:

• Maintenance of neutral pH: salt water helps to maintain a neutral pH in the oral cavity which is absolutely essential to keep the mouth in good health and prevent the growth of bad bacteria.
• Improved circulation: salt water gargles increase the blood flow to very small blood vessels. This increased blood flow speeds up the healing process and also clears away the bacteria more efficiently.
• Nasal decongestion: salt water helps to clear away the extra mucous which leads to nasal blockage and its anti-inflammatory properties make it very effective for opening up a blocked nose.