How to Prevent a Sore Throat from Progressing to a Cold

By Dr. Ben Kim on March 09, 2008
Natural Health Solutions

Before I share a great little tip on how to stop a sore throat from progressing into a week-long cold, please know that periodically experiencing a cold or the flu can actually be helpful to your health. If you have no idea why this is, please view the following popular article that I wrote on this topic:-

What Most Doctors Won't Tell You About Colds and Flus

You just won't get this information on why colds and flus can help you stay healthy over the long run from medical textbooks and mainstream media - please consider sharing it with family and friends.

Although experiencing a cold or the flu once in a while can help rid your body of your weakest cells, I'm willing to bet that there are times when you would really prefer to delay such a period of cleansing and malaise.

Here's how you can stand a good chance of preventing a cold from developing:-

As soon as you experience that sore, tickly feeling in your throat that precedes a full-blown cold, gargle with warm salt water.

And when I say gargle, I mean really gargle; take in a mouthful of warm salt water, look up at the ceiling, and gargle aggressively. You may want to tap at your throat (the Adam's apple region) with your fingers while you gargle to encourage the warm salt water to trickle deeply into your throat.

Gargle like this several times with a glass of warm salt water, and repeat as often as possible throughout the day.

Warm salt water can remove viruses from the tonsils and adenoids that line the back of your throat region. Viruses that cause colds and flus typically get caught by your tonsils and adenoids before they spread through your body. Your tonsils and adenoids are important parts of your immune system because they are located near the entrance of your breathing passages, and they serve as a first line of defense against undesirable airborne microorganisms and substances.

This, by the way, is why it is best not to remove tonsils and adenoids from your throat region. Chronic swelling of tonsils and adenoids is best addressed by reducing sugar intake, adopting a minimally processed diet that is rich in fresh plant foods, and supporting immune system health by getting plenty of rest, exercise, and exposure to sunlight and fresh air.

Cold salt water may also help to remove viruses from your tonsils and adenoids, but warm salt water tends to be more effective. Warm water may help to melt the fatty coating that protects viruses that cause the cold and flu.

What if you gargle for all you're worth but still end up developing a full-blown cold?

Get lots of rest, drink plenty of fluids, and take comfort in knowing that countless viruses are at work destroying your weakest cells. And don't forget to blow your nose as often as it runs; help your body get rid of what it wants to get rid of.

Vitamins That Lower Cholesterol

1. The Differences Between Vitamins and Drugs

When considering all of the options for lowering serum cholesterol, you need to look at the benefits as well as the drawbacks of taking them--most importantly, do they work? Many supplement claims are simply too good to be true and almost every drug has side effects. Some of the most recent supplements touted to lower cholesterol include policosanol, gugulipid, omega-3 fatty acids, garlic cholesterol, flax seed and red yeast rice. Prescribed drugs have better documented rates of success but almost always have side effects such as constipation and abdominal cramps. The most prescribed drugs include HMG CoA reductase inhibitors (the "statin" drugs), bile acid sequestrants, niacin, gemfibrozil, probucol and clofibrate. If you're trying to decide which way to go, vitamins vs. prescribed drugs, discuss all of your options with your physician.

2. Deciding How to Approach High Cholesterol Levels

It's hard to pick up the newspaper without reading about the newest miracle drugs for reducing cholesterol. There are literally hundreds of them. Some of the most recent entries include beta-sitosterol, D-limonene, green tea extract, lecithin, oryzanol, pumpkin oil and vitamin E. Before putting your confidence into these non-prescription alternatives for lowering cholesterol, do your homework and talk to your doctor. If your cholesterol levels are only slightly elevated, there may be no harm in following a conservative approach. However, if your cholesterol has been high for some time, you may need more aggressive treatment.

3. The Recommended Ways of Lowering Cholesterol

If your doctor has told you that you need to takes steps to lower your cholesterol, there are several approaches. The first step (and sometimes the most difficult) is to make lifestyle modifications that include changes in your diet and exercise routine. By adding 20 minutes of aerobic exercise to your daily routine, you'll help reduce LDL levels while increasing your HDL. Another importance approach is to lower the cholesterol and fat in your diet. By reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet, you'll reduce the LDL in your blood that directly reflects on your cholesterol level. If you're a cigarette smoker, quit. Research has shown that quitting smoking is the single, most important step you can take to improving your lipid profile and eliminating the most preventable cause of premature heart attacks.

4. The Role of Oat Bran and Other Fibers

For people looking for safe alternatives to drug therapy for treating their high cholesterol, there's supporting evidence that oat bran and other fibers can be successful in lowering LDL levels in the blood. Oats have been consumed for hundreds of years as a filling and inexpensive food. It wasn't until the 1970s that oats began gaining the attention of the medical community for their ability to lower cholesterol. Some researchers believe that oats accomplish this by binding to bile acids in the intestines, preventing them from being converted to cholesterol.

5. Managing Your Cholesterol Using Herbs

No discussion of how to manage high cholesterol would be complete without mentioning the role of herbs in reducing LDLs and raising HDLs. While the evidence is still out concerning their efficacy, herbs have been used for thousands of years to treat everything from atherosclerosis to hypertension. Some of the most popular herbs currently being used for treating high cholesterol are licorice root, Hawthorn berry, alfalfa herb, garlic bulb, capsicum fruit, red yeast rice, psyllium, butcher's broom and fenugreek seeds.


Last Updated: April 13, 2008

Allen R. Smith is a health and fitness enthusiast and freelance writer living in Vail, Colorado. He earned his Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology and his Exercise Specialist certification with the American College of Sports Medicine at San Diego State University. He has extensive experience working with individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease.