How to Deal with a Scratchy Sore Throat

A scratchy sore throat, also known as pharyngitis, can be more than annoying; it can ruin your whole day. These symptoms send many people to the doctor each year when simple over the counter medicines and home therapies may hold a simple easy cure.

An extract made from the Slippery elm plant was once a popular drugstore remedy in the US. The herb was listed in the United States Pharmacopeia, a dictionary of drug standards, until 1960. As it turns out, maybe this extract should be on your list of remedies even though it has been dropped from the pharmacopeia.

A member of the elm family, the slippery elm tree grows primarily in the eastern region of North America, up and down the Atlantic seaboard. To treat scratchy throats, herbalists utilize the inner bark of the tree. The inner bark contains mucilage, a gel-like substance that expands when mixed with water. The mucilage is thought to work by coating the irritated lining and reducing inflammation.

Slippery elm is often the primary natural ingredient in herbal lozenges found in health food stores or found in the natural food section of the local grocery store or on the shelves at drug stores. One popular brand of these type lozenges is called Thayer’s.

The safety of slippery elm when used by pregnant women has not been determined, so it’s best to be safe and use only doctor approved medicine for the sake of the health of your unborn child.

There are many herbal cures thought to sooth this condition, more will be posted later. When possible, natural remedies make sense because they are less likely to cause negative side effects. However, remember that if your symptoms do not ease up after a few days then you should go ahead and see a doctor to make sure there is not a more serious ailment causing the condition.