A sore throat can be a very irritating and painful annoyance. Constantly feeling the need to either clear your throat or swallow just to find that nothing actually works to help the soreness and burning sensation go away.
Did you know that you can use essential oils to help relieve the symptoms of a sore throat? Well, today, that’s what we are doing. There are essential oils on the market that can help with a variety of issues and concerns, and the reasons behind your sore throat are included.
So if you’re stuck in the house nursing a cold or allergies and a sore throat have been bogging you down, don’t worry. All-natural and easy-to-get relief is on the way.
What Is a Sore Throat?
Let’s start with defining the problem; this way, you can properly diagnose if this is the issue or if there’s something else going on.
A sore throat is defined as irritation or scratchiness in your throat that can get worse when you swallow. The most common reason you get a sore throat is from a viral infection. However, you can also experience a sore throat during allergy season, associated with a common cold, or after a really long day with the kids.
Signs and Symptoms
Some of the most common symptoms of a sore throat include:
- Pain when swallowing
- Difficulty swallowing
- Swollen throat or tonsils
- White spots or sores on your tonsils (these can be seen with a mirror)
- A hoarse voice
- The need to constantly clear your throat
- Itchiness in the throat
These symptoms can occur before, during, or after other symptoms. If your throat hurts from a virus or cold, you can expect a fever, aches, and pains in your muscles and body, as well as an overall feeling of lethargy.
If allergies are behind your raspy and itchy throat, you might be more likely to experience sneezing, a runny nose, and a foggy or hazy feeling in your head.
When Is a Sore Throat Serious?
These are normal issues that we all experience, and as much as we hate when our kiddos are sick, they’re a pretty standard part of being alive.
However, if these issues below arise, contact your medical provider as soon as possible:
- A sore throat that lasts longer than seven days is accompanied by difficulty breathing or unusual drooling.
These symptoms (while not an exhaustive list) could all mean that something else is occurring under the surface that requires further help. Seek out treatment STAT.
What Causes a Sore Throat?
There are a few causes of a sore throat that we have touched on, but we need to examine why these specific issues are the reasons normally thirst-quenching water is more of a pain than a pleasure.
Below are some typical reasons behind that pesky pain in your throat:
Allergies
Allergies affect many people, and those allergies associated with the environment or the seasons can leave you with a sore throat you weren’t ready for.
It happens due to the excessive mucus that your body is creating. When pollen gets into your nose, it triggers a big reaction in your body that causes you to sneeze, cough, or become deeply congested.
The nasal drip you experience as a result of the pollen in the air causes mucus to run down your throat, causing irritation.
The Common Cold
While you might have aches and pains everywhere due to a cold, a sore throat is definitely on the top of the symptoms list. This can be caused by nasal drip, similar to allergy symptoms.
A cold, however, might lead to a fever, and the aches and pains can be worsened with the onset of your body temperature changing.
A Virus
The flu, or influenza virus, causes bacteria to spread throughout your body and cause many issues along the way.
Your body will go into overdrive to combat the bacteria and infected cells, and this can lead to swelling and irritation in your throat. This happens because of the lymph nodes in your body. They produce cells that kill the virus attacking your immune system, and the reaction can cause swelling in your throat.
Even if you don’t have that burning or itching sensation, a swollen throat may cause pain when you talk or swallow and can last several days.
How To Use Essential Oils for a Sore Throat
For minor sore throats, you may opt to just wait it out, however painful that may be. But we have another option: essential oils.
We understand that you prefer an all-natural lifestyle or as natural as possible, and we do too. Luckily, essential oils are the all-natural answer to the question of how you live naturally without suffering when you’re under the weather.
Essential oils have been used for hundreds of years to help soothe ailments, many of which may help alleviate sore throat symptoms. Below is a list of ways you can use essential oils to help remedy your sore throat fast.
The top essential oils for helping heal a sore throat are:
- Lemon
- Peppermint
- Eucalyptus
- Echinacea
- Lavender
- Ginger
- Sage
Diffusers
Diffusers utilize a homeopathic treatment known as aromatherapy. Aromatherapy relies on the scents and aromas of various essential oils derived from plants to trigger specific chemical responses in your brain.
The oils get added to a vessel containing water, and, through the use of steam, droplets are dispersed into the air for you to breathe in. These scents tap directly into the olfactory senses and help trigger the appropriate chemical reactions in your body to start alleviating symptoms.
- However, keep in mind that some essential oils are dangerous to pets.
Topical Use
You can use essential oils directly on the skin to help heal a sore throat. Topical application means that the oils need to penetrate the top layer of skin and be absorbed into the body.
Once this happens, the healing properties are carried through the body and start helping the affected area.
- Note that essential oils must be diluted with a carrier oil before applying directly to the skin. If you have known allergies to certain oils, avoid topical application.
Are They Safe To Consume?
Some sites might encourage ingesting oils, but this isn’t necessarily safe. In order to use essential oils in tonics or in food, you need to buy food-grade essential oils. The typical essential oils are not meant to be ingested; check the labels before adding to teas or anything else.
Using Patches
Figuring out the perfect blend for essential oils can get overwhelming, not to mention how you use them to get the most out of them. The best thing to do with essential oils is to inhale the scents and aromas.
However, lotions and ointments wear off quickly, not to mention how much our kids are itching to rub them off!
At The Natural Patch Co., we created a new way to bring the powers of oils to families everywhere in the form of our patches — no need to buy a diffuser or apply oils right on your skin.
Our fun and cute sticker designs are full of up to eight hours of essential oils and will give you all the healing powers they’re known for. We have patches to fit your needs, whether you need to repel mosquitoes or soothe your allergies. Yep, there’s a patch for that: AllergyPatch.
Hooray! Relief Is on the Way.
We hope this information will help you pinpoint the source of your sore throat, and our how-tos with essential oils can help you feel better faster.
With essential oils, you can supplement your healthcare routine with all-natural and incredible-smelling tools, right from Mother Nature’s laboratory.
Sources:
Sore throat - Symptoms and causes | Mayo Clinic
Key Facts About Influenza (Flu) | CDC
Essential oils for a sore throat: Lemon, peppermint, and more | MedicalNewsToday
