Honey Remedy for a Sore Throat

Most sore throats are caused by bacterial or viral infections. Although Grandma may not have understood that, she did have effective home remedies. Many people dismiss these as "old wive's tales," but Grandma was nobody's fool. She may not have known why soothing natural honey worked to ease your discomfort, but somehow her remedies held the power to make us feel better.

Honey Hot Totty

Slice a whole small lemon into eight ounces of cold water. Add cup of honey and a cinnamon stick, or teaspoon ground cinnamon. Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes. Remove the elixir from the heat and allow it to steep for another five minutes. Breathe the vapors during this time. Slowly sip to cup of warm honey elixir as needed for sore throat discomfort.

Add a shot of whiskey, vodka or rum to half a cup of very hot honey elixir and sip at bedtime. Bundle up under lots of blankets to avoid catching a chill, because you'll sweat profusely all night. You'll feel much better in the morning. Grandma would say that's because the honey hot totty made you sweat the bug out of yourself.

Cooling Hot Pepper Honey Relief

Bring one cup of water to a boil and remove it from the heat. Stir in cup of honey. Whisk in teaspoon of cayenne pepper until well dissolved. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Gargle, or tilt your head backward and just allow the pepper honey mixture to sit in your throat for 30 seconds. The honey soothes sore, raw tissues, and the cooled pepper will actually numb the sore throat pain somewhat. Repeat this as needed.

Coat and Soothe

Combine equal parts of honey, liquid Benadryl and Mylanta antacid, and gargle as needed. Don't swallow this unless you don't care if the Benadryl makes you sleepy. Honey helps ease discomfort with its soothing action. Benadryl has potent antiseptic properties, so it eases some minor pain quickly and effectively on contact. The Mylanta serves to gently coat and protect sore, inflamed tissues.

Honey Juice Ice Pops

Ice pops are great sore throat remedies. You can mix almost any concoction that you wish and freeze it in an ice pop tray. This is particularly helpful for kids suffering from sore throats, since it's often difficult to get them to gargle. Try adding cup of honey to a cup of orange juice. Spike it with a little shot of liquid vitamin C. Freeze the mixture in pop trays and let your child have as many of them as she wants. The honey and orange juice will soothe and ease the sore throat discomfort, and kids think they're just getting lots of sweet, great-tasting Popsicles.