We have all experienced sore throats from time to time and it is impossible to not remember the awful irritating, dry scratchy feelings in the throat area, which are then followed by the seemingly enormous' lump' which prevents us from swallowing with any degree of comfort.

Or, we have faced the embarrassment of being in the midst of an important conversation and our voices either completely fail us or we lapse into a bout of unpreventable coughing.

There are many reasons why we get a sore throat and this can be by viruses similar to the common cold or by bacteria. We constantly face pollutants such as smoke and this can cause an irritation as can house dust and pet dander.

Symptoms of a sore throat include:

• Difficulty swallowing
• The possibility of a high temperature
• Swollen lymph nodes in the jaw and neck area
• Pain leading to the ears

If the sore throat is due to a virus, then standard treatment with painkillers should be sufficient and the sore throat should be vastly improved within a week, although if the sore throat is caused by bacteria, then a prescription for antibiotics may be beneficial. It is wise not to continually take antibiotics though, it is more beneficial to work at increasing and improving the immune system to help combat the sore throat and help prevent the body succumbing to any other illness.

Increasing the volume of hot and cold drinks may help to ease the symptoms and of course, there are many available medicinal sweets available for throat conditions, however these can become costly if lots are consumed.

If the sore throat and any of the symptoms have not improved within a week or if any of these other symptoms are present, then it is important to seek medical advice:

• It is a recurring sore throat
• Hoarseness which lasts for several weeks
• Blood in saliva
• Rash
• Swollen glands
• Difficulty breathing or severe problems with swallowing

But if you are sure that your symptoms are just those of a traditional sore throat, then it is worth trying some of the following natural remedies.

Gargle

Gargle with salt water. Add just a little salt to half a cup of water and gargle several times a day.

Honey and Ginger

Add a mixture of honey and ginger over ice and drink several times a day. The sore throat will be much improved within a day or so.

Humidifier

Use a humidifier in the rooms you spend a lot of time in, including your bedroom.

Honey and Lemon

Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice with some honey and add to a glass of hot water, this will help instantly.

Meditation

Add a healing meditation to your daily practise and use colour therapy or incorporate your own style healing visualisation.

Increase Hygiene

Wash hands on a more frequent basis as this can prevent viral and bacterial infections.