Burning, irritation and an unbearable feeling of discomfort every time you swallow: fortunately there are effective natural remedies.
According to statistics, each of us experiences, to varying degrees, at least once a year sore throat. It is mainly children who suffer the most, since in autumn the requests for help to pediatricians for this problem are very frequent.
Usually, as annoying as it is, it leaves after a few days. However, if you want to prevent it, or make it disappear as soon as possible, especially by keeping the discomfort under control, you can also resort to remedies of natural origin.
Propolis for prevention and treatment
Propolis is certainly one of the most used natural remedies in upper airway colds.
The mixture of substances that bees produce while they are busy building their hives has, in recent years, also received the green light from science.
Numerous researches have in fact shown that propolis exerts a triple action:
- antibiotic, in the sense that it blocks the growth of bacteria with which it comes into contact;
- antiviral, especially against flu, cold and herpes viruses;
- immunostimulant, that is, it increases the body’s natural defenses against germs.
Products based on propolis, in pharmacies, there are several: the most used are sprays and hydroalcoholic solutions.
Recently, alcohol-free, aqueous solutions have also been developed for children.
To be sure that they contain the necessary principles in the right quantities, it is essential to verify that the propolis-based product is standardized in the active components, or that it is titrated for the content of flavonoids (generally galangin).
Thyme: from cooking to pharmacy
It is not only a spice with which to perfume the roast, thyme is above all a medicinal plant.
The essences obtained from its flowers, titrated in timolol at least 40 percent, in fact perform an antibacterial and antioxidant activity.
It acts mainly on the bacteria that cause respiratory tract infections, such as aerobic Gram positive germs, eradicating them.
It works better if taken together with propolis: the two substances, in synergy, promote faster healing. In pharmacies there are several herbal remedies based on thyme. The most used are alcohol-free syrups, also suitable for children, based on thyme essential oil and ivy extracts, a plant also useful in diseases of the upper airways.
The products that contain these two medicinal plants also have the advantage of having an effect on cough as they reduce the frequency and duration of attacks.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
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