How does warm salt water gargling help with cough and cold?
‘Gargle with warm salt water!’ An advice given to us by our mothers at the slightest hint of a sore throat. But how effective is it?
In case of a sore throat, the tissues of the throat get swollen or inflamed with the accumulation of fluids in them, causing a condition called edema. Salt water tends to pull the water away from the inflamed tissue. When the concentration of salt outside the tissue increases, the water from within the tissue moves out to balance salt and water concentration. Thus, as water is expelled from the tissues, inflammation is reduced, thereby providing temporary relief.
Salt water also acts on the mucous lining of the throat. The mucous contains irritants, allergens, bacteria and viruses which cause infection. Salt kills and removes all these infection-causing agents and helps mobilizing the thick mucous lining which provides relief. Salt water creates an inhospitable environment for bacteria and thus, keeps bacteria from growing again.
Warm salt water gargles do relieve an aching throat but using excessive salt while gargling has its side effects. Saline water with high salt concentration draws more water from the lining of the throat, making it more dry and irritated worsening an already infected throat. Thus, gargling with excessive salty water should be avoided. Ideally, one tsp (5 g) of salt should be dissolved in 1 cup (250 ml) of warm water for instant relief.
If this doesn’t give you relief, you might want to try other home remedies to relieve sore throat.
Source: The Health Site
Published: 02 Dec 2014
Category: Features, Wellness and Complementary Therapies
