Sore Throat? Herbie Freebie

A virus and not Strep cause Most Sore Throats. 3/10 might be strep. Accompanied by a runny nose, itchy eyes, and a cough, it is likely a virus. 

SYMPTOMS OF STREP: to be aware of.

The most common symptoms of strep throat are sudden, severe sore throat, pain with swallowing, fever over 101 °F (38.3°C); swollen tonsils and lymph nodes, and white or yellow spots on the back of a bright red throat. Less common symptoms include a red skin rash, vomiting, not feeling hungry, and body aches.

Epiglottitis is also a severe condition requiring hospitalization. It has severe pain in the back of the throat when swallowing. You’ll have a difficult time swallowing your spit and snore an excessive amount. In kids, they would be drooling a lot. 

Possible Sore Throat Complication

*A big sign of complications is a sore throat that goes away and comes back with a vengeance*

Short-Term Goals

1.  Prevention of strep
2.  Or Support the symptoms of strep
3.  Need to get antibiotics if you don’t see noticeable results in 24hrs

General Remedies:

• Humidifier in the room at night
• Biocidin Throat Spray
• Salt Gargles: These have to be done often but do help with pain.
  • 1 tsp of salt to 6oz water. Stir till salt is dissolved. Gargle for 20-30 sec. at a time and spit out.
  • You can step this up by adding Echinacea and or Sage tea or tincture to your gargle (or any other herbs noted below)
• Lymphatic Drainage massage on the throat
  • Start at the top and lightly stroke your fingers down the throat.
  • Use topical Lymphatic oils like Calendula, Violet, Poke

Homeopathic Remedies:

• Belladonna: The most common remedy for sore throats. Shooting pains when swallowing. Sore, bright red, and inflamed throat. Dry throat. Fever
• Mere Sol: Bluish-red swelling of the throat. Ulcers of the throat. Increased salivation. Stitching throat pains that go up to the ear while swallowing.
• Hepar Sulph: Splinter-like pains when swallowing. The throat is swollen and red.

Herbal Recommendations:

• Sage Honey:
  • To make: Chop up some fresh sage and cover with honey. Stir every day for a couple weeks, and then it is ready to use. After a month, you can strain out the leaves by slightly warming the honey and running through a mesh filter.  To use the honey with herbs without straining it, just add a spoonful to hot water and then strain your hot water.
  • To Use Herbal Honey:
    • Add 1tsp – 1 Tbsp of herb-infused honey to hot water and sip throughout the day as needed.
• Marshmallow or Slippery Elm Honey Balls
  • Add marshmallow or slippery elm to slightly warmed honey and form into a ball and lightly coat on the outside with the powder so they don’t stick. Keep it in the refrigerator. 
  • Suck on one of the Honey Balls as needed (don’t chew, just let it dissolve in your mouth over time-it will coat the throat)
• Cold Cinnamon infusion in a milk alternative
  • To make, add a cinnamon stick to some milk overnight and refrigerate. Or add some cinnamon powder to milk and let it sit for a couple of hours in the refrigerator.
• Echinacea Tincture:
  • Directions: 1 dropperful per 50#’s of body weight (if fresh tincture) 2 dropperfuls if made from dried.
  • USE AS A GARGLE ALSO
    • every 20 min. If you can find one with Propolis, it works even better to help stick to the tonsils.
      • If you tend to “be allergic to everything,” don’t use propolis.
• GREEN TEA
• Burdock Infusion: helps get out the heat.
  • Directions:
  • Ingredients
• Garlic and Honey Tea
  • Directions: Add a minced garlic clove to hot water with honey and lemon.
  • Ingredients
• Chamomile Tea
  • If this is all you have, don’t discount its benefits!
  • Directions: 2 Tbsp in 8oz Hot water. Steep for 30-45 min Strain and drink 4-6x/day.
• Throat Coat Teaby Traditional Medicinals is easy to find in most health food sections.
  • To make this tea. 1 part Licorice, Slippery Elm, Marshmallow. ½ part Wild Cherry & Fennel.  Add Cinnamon and orange peel for taste.
• Echinacea/Bee Propolis spray.
• Other herbs: Goldenseal, Myrrh, Garlic, ginseng, cranberry and cinnamon.
  • Herbs that soothe a sore throat: Licorice root, Slippery Elm, Marshmallow root, Wild Cherry, Fennel, Hyssop, Myrrh and Thyme.
  • Lymphatic herbs: Burdock for kids, Redroot and Poke for adults
  • Antimicrobials: Goldenseal, Myrrh, Garlic, Cryptolepis (strongest), mugwort, pipsissewa, usnea, stone root
• STEPHEN BUHNER’S PROTOCOL: for active infection
  • ECHINACEA: 1Tbs every hour
  • CRYPTOLEPSIS, SIDA, OR ALCHORNEA TINCTURE: 1 Tbsp every hour.
  • LOMATIUM (NO), RHODIOLA & ELEUTHERO (Equal parts tincture) 1 tsp 4x daily

SUPPLEMENTS:

• Zinc Lozenges 10mg 3x/day for kids up to 50mg for adults *take with food as zinc can be nauseating.
• Vit C: under 5 years old, about 200 milligrams; for kids 5-10, 250-500, and kids over 10, you can give 500-1000 milligrams 2-3x/day. Adults 1,000mg every hour if desired (can cause diarrhea)

DIET: Foods to Include: Eat warm, soft foods

• Bone Broth, Soup, Cooked Veggies, Applesauce. These are easy to digest, so your body can fight infection instead of digesting heavy foods.
• Foods to Reduce: Low Sugar diet
  • No Pop, Sugar, Heavy Carbs sugar feeds the bad bacteria in the gut while gut motility is slow to fight the virus.

Referrals:

See a Doctor if symptoms don’t improve in 24 hours or if symptoms go away and then come back within a couple days and are worse.

COMPLICATIONS OF STREP: 

• PANDAS OR PANS:  you get strep and develop Pediatric Autoimmune 
• Rheumatic fever and autoimmune infection from strep.

References:

Easley, T. (n.d.-a). Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine Clinical Herbalist Program [Slide show; Class Lecture]. Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine. https://eclecticschoolofherbalmedicine.com/

Morris, N. (n.d.). Naturopathic First Aid 101. N/A.

Healthy all year – Aviva Romm, MD. (2023, January 5). Aviva Romm, MD. https://avivaromm.com/courses/healthy-all-year/