Laryngitis: How to Gargle It Away

One day you are fine, and the next, your throat begins to hurt and is raspy. It is dry to swallow making it painful. You may have that hacking, dry, cough, that sounds like you have lung cancer. Sometimes, the cough is consistent, making you seek relief from any source available. Your voice begins to change, deepen, like a frog, and you know people notice it because they keep their distance. That is when you make an admission: I have a cold or laryngitis.

Larry Laryngitis

Larry's MO is a throat that is itchy, scratchy, irritated, dry, and mucus. It can come on quickly and is usually an indication that your body is fighting a virus or bacteria in your lungs or nasal area. While the dry hacking cough with mucus over more than seven days may indicate to you it's time to go to the doctor, many times all these symptoms are just a viral infection, similar to allergies. If your cough is producing mucus, that still may be just a virus but your body is reacting with its defenses. However, if your mucus is a greenish color (not mucus that has no color) that is an indication bacteria may be developing.

Your cough is your body's reaction to the mucus, many times, dripping down from the nasal cavity area behind the eyes and nose. This creates the "tickle" that causes your body to react to remove the mucus (spitting it out or swallowing). Of course, the more you cough, the more your throat is irritated and so on.

Remedy

Know that usually the virus will be gone after a week, if not sooner. Taking antibiotics for a virus is wasteful as it has zero impact on the virus. If after a week, you still have the mucus producing cough and it is greenish, start thinking that you have a bacterial problem and this is when you need antibiotics. You should also be taking at least 400-800 mg of Guaifenesin expectorant to loosen the mucus for removal.

Meanwhile, to control your coughing and laryngitis, the most effective natural remedies are:

• Salt or Himalayan Salt
• Apple Cider Vinegar - a germ fighter and restores the pH in your throat\mouth
• Mediterranean Oregano - a real and proven bacteria killer
• Licorice Root - Helps reduce irritation and swelling
• Cayenne Pepper - another bacteria killer used by Mayans and Aztecs to clear mucus congestion
• Lemon -another bacteria killer

In some independent tests, Oregano and Cayenne Pepper with salt helped kill throat bacteria by 95%. The only problem is finding a natural remedy with these elements in the correct dosage.

There is one such product, Natures Jeannie, Gargle Away. I tried this recently and within two days, my raspy, painful, throat was nearly gone and the mucus had decreased. It really works. There are six packets in each box and using just half of a single packet is strong enough in most cases.

Of course, you want to drink a lot of liquids and use a nasal decongestant if you feel it is helpful. If your symptoms include a fever for a several days, you probably need to see a doctor for antibiotics because some bacteria is very resilient and that is the only way you will remove it.

Keep in mind that colds, flu, laryngitis, are mostly viral in nature, They can become bacterial. A dry, hacking cough, lasting for weeks, is a signal to see a doctor.