In every home there is likely to be soda, salt or iodine, which have healing powers. Soda and salt are involved in cooking, used in economic activities and folk medicine. Iodine is not only an excellent antiseptic, but also an assistant in forensic cases, industry, and nuclear science.
Each product, in the form of solutions, is used individually for gargling and inhaling the throat, but mixed forms can also be used for more effective procedures at home. Let's first find out what functions each product performs, how it works and is used, and then move on to the healing trinity - “salt + soda + iodine”, the features of their use and the recommended proportions for gargling.
The healing properties of soda for throat diseases
Soda is an excellent disinfectant used for diseases of the oropharynx. During infectious and viral infections of the respiratory system, soda rinses alkalize the mucous membranes and inhibit the development of pathogenic microflora, which likes to multiply in an acidic environment.
Under the influence of soda, not only various cocci die, but also fungal infections are eliminated. In the ENT office you can often hear the expression: “You no longer have pus in your tonsils, these are mushrooms.” When the spread of bacteria is stopped, the patient’s immune system quickly “deals” with the remaining harmful agents.
Rinsing with a soda solution helps to dilute accumulated mucus, soften the tonsils and wash out old and fresh “plugs” from them, and reduce swelling of the pharynx. Under the influence of the solution, pain and sore throat are reduced, small wounds are regenerated (healed).
While gargling, patients notice that the condition of their gum mucosa has improved, because... the solution inevitably gets there, so it’s no secret that soda also occupies an important position in dentistry. Dentists often recommend soda rinses to their patients if there is an infectious process in the oral cavity.
Soda has gained great popularity in ENT pathologies, in particular tonsillitis, when the lacunae of the tonsils are filled with pyogenic contents, causing chronic processes in the body. Intensive rinsing helps dissolve these inclusions and remove them out.
Sometimes, after several procedures, the patient already sees “plugs” in the sink of a white, yellow or greenish hue (they feel rather dense to the touch). And when examining the throat, peculiar “holes” are discovered where purulent “plugs” were located.
An article on the topic - how to treat caseous plugs in the throat.
For what diseases can it be used?
Any pathological process based on infection can be treated with a solution of iodine, salt and soda.
More often this procedure is used in the following conditions:
- Laryngitis is an inflammatory lesion of the larynx. Develops due to hypothermia of the body. The course of the disease is aggravated by the presence of bad habits. The tonsils are not involved in the process.
- Pharyngitis is a lesion of the tissue and mucous membrane of the pharynx. Appears as a result of viruses. Obvious symptoms include a feeling of pain and hyperemia.
- Tonsillitis is an infectious disease that is spread by airborne droplets. The pathology process involves the nasopharynx and tonsils with the appearance of ulcers. Body temperature rises. In the absence of proper therapy, complications occur in the kidneys and cardiovascular system.
- Stomatitis is an inflammatory lesion of the oral mucosa due to an infectious process.
- Dry cough.
All this can be used in conjunction with the main treatment.
But it also helps a lot on its own, as an independent treatment, but then the treatment can be lengthy and protracted.
Soda rinses with herbal infusions, lemon and homemade apple cider vinegar
Traditional healers advise diluting soda in herbal infusions: eucalyptus, chamomile, St. John's wort, calendula, sage, plantain. First, prepare an infusion (pour 250 ml of boiling water over a dessert spoon of herbs), leave for 40 minutes, and filter. 100 ml of the prepared chilled infusion (up to 30 degrees) is poured into a separate glass and 1/2 teaspoon of soda is added to it. The rinsing mode is the same as with a pure soda solution without additives.
Sometimes add 1/2 teaspoon of acidic drinks to the “soda + herbs” solution: lemon juice or homemade apple cider vinegar. This solution helps cleanse the tonsils (tonsils) from plaque. It is used in acute and chronic periods of tonsillitis.
Method of preparing the solution
To ensure that the treatment does not cause harm and is effective, it is necessary to use the constituent ingredients of the solution in strictly specified proportions.
For a long time, folk recipes were compiled, adjusted and supplemented. Modern cooking methods are considered the most effective and safe.
For home medicine, you can take table salt or sea salt. The latter option is considered more preferable, but in this case the proportions and recipe of the solution change.
Traditional medicine offers two methods that a person can choose according to the ingredients available at home and individual characteristics.
Proportion No. 1:
Boil 200 ml of water and cool to a temperature of 35-40 degrees. Add one teaspoon each of table salt and soda to the liquid. Mix the solution thoroughly until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. Place 3-4 drops of iodine in a salty-alkaline liquid and stir.
Proportion No. 2:
Boil 200 ml of water or take bottled liquid and heat it up. Place half a teaspoon of sea salt in it and add a full teaspoon of soda. In this case, there is no need to use iodine, since the marine ingredient already contains it in its composition. Mix the solids with the liquid until completely dissolved.
Soda, salt and iodine in proportions different from those recommended are used only as prescribed by the attending physician.
You should not increase the amount of ingredients on your own, as this will not speed up recovery, but will lead to drying out of the mucous membrane.
Soda inhalations for treating throat
These inhalations will help with tracheitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis, when it is necessary to remove accumulated mucus and phlegm. Soda inhalations are popular in pediatrics and can be easily performed at home. If you don’t have a nebulizer at home, use the proven old-fashioned method: take a tablespoon of soda per liter of hot water (40–50 degrees) and mix.
Inhalation is carried out over a saucepan (7–10 minutes), covering the head with a terry towel. You should breathe evenly, taking calm and deep breaths. The procedure is performed once a day.
Important! With caution, you should use soda for gargling as part of the trinity “salt, soda, iodine”, especially if the following symptoms were previously noticed when using a soda solution separately: dryness and irritation in the throat, nausea, gag reflex, increased blood pressure, severe thirst , change in body temperature (increase).
We recommend reading:
How to carry out inhalations for a green runny nose and sore throat.
Features of inhalations for children.
How to treat herpetic sore throat in children.
Rules for performing the procedure
In order for rinsing to help relieve a sore throat, you need to be careful and perform all the steps correctly. During pregnancy, doctors recommend that women avoid adding iodine to a soda-salt solution or greatly reduce its dose. With the initial symptoms of a sore throat, you will have to gargle frequently to stop the spread of the infectious process.
After making sure that the liquid has cooled to a comfortable temperature, begin rinsing.
- After taking the solution into your mouth, slightly tilt your head back. The head can be turned slightly to treat all lesions with liquid.
- You must not lose control of the process. The iodine solution of soda and salt should not enter the esophagus, otherwise intestinal problems will not be avoided. Used water is spat out
- To reliably rinse the tonsils, it is recommended to pronounce the letter “s” slowly during the process. This will neutralize the tongue, then it will not interfere with the irrigation of the tonsils
- You should gargle in series of several seconds, the total duration of gargling is at least five minutes.
- Three to four procedures per day are enough. You should not partake, otherwise a burning sensation will be added to the sore throat.
The healing liquid with iodine is not prepared in advance, otherwise the beneficial microelements will decompose. After the therapeutic effect, you should not take food or liquid for half an hour, so as not to make the healing effect zero.
If after 2-3 days the symptoms do not decrease and the pain intensifies, you will have to go to the doctor for a new prescription.
Salt and its healing effect on a sore throat
For all infectious and inflammatory pathologies of the throat, good results are obtained by frequent rinsing with a salt solution, used to destroy pathogenic microorganisms, and sometimes, to enhance the antiseptic effect, add soda and iodine.
As monotherapy, table salt ( sodium chloride NaCl), iodized salt, which includes potassium iodide or iodate, and sea salt are used. Salt rinses have a detrimental effect on accumulated mucus and pus, dissolve them, and cleanse the mucous membranes of accumulated pathogenic secretions.
In addition to the cleansing and antiseptic effect, salt is able to regenerate the affected mucous membrane, relieve swelling and inflammation, and reduce areas of hypertrophied tissue. It is not for nothing that salt has long been used by military doctors to treat gangrene, when access to antibacterial agents was limited. During the difficult years of the war, salt proved its irrefutable antiseptic ability.
Proportions of iodine, salt and soda for gargling with sore throat
Proportions of salt soda and iodine for rinsing
To begin treating your throat yourself, it is important to know the proportions of the components for preparing the medicinal composition.
As a rule, for therapeutic purposes, table salt and baking soda are used to gargle a sore throat in equal quantities, 1 teaspoon and 3 drops of 3% iodine per 250 ml of water. Mix everything thoroughly, the composition is ready.
If the mucous surface of the pharynx is highly sensitive, 2 drops of iodine should be used to prevent burns to the larynx.
Also, the proportions differ between adults and children. From the age of 16, it is recommended to prepare a rinse medicine with the maximum content of components.
Recipe for making a saline gargle
The salt solution is prepared in the same proportions as soda: for 100 ml of boiled water, slightly warm, take 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
The frequency of rinsing depends on the condition of the patient's throat. For pharyngitis, it is advisable to use 3-4 rinses per day; in case of sore throat, the frequency of procedures increases to 6-8 times a day. In parallel with rinsing, it is recommended to carry out saline rinsing of the nasal passages, because mucus most often flows down the throat from the nose and the infection circulates through the nasopharynx. Washing is carried out using a regular pipette or a disposable 2 ml syringe.
Rules for the procedure
To ensure the effectiveness of the procedure, you need to follow these simple recommendations:
- Before the procedure, you need to brush your teeth well with a suitable paste using a pre-prepared product.
- The temperature of the solution should not be hot, but cold liquid can increase the pain. The optimal temperature is 30 degrees.
- The most important condition is to use a freshly prepared drug so that the substances do not lose their healing qualities.
- During the procedure, emphasis should be placed on the diseased element.
- There is no need to swallow the liquid.
- The procedure should last at least five minutes.
Rinsing will help temporarily relieve pain, but will not relieve the patient from the need to visit the dentist. Caries and pulpitis, which are accompanied by pain, require immediate professional intervention.
Soda-salt solution - a reliable and safe assistant
To prepare the required solution, take 1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) of soda and salt and dissolve them in 100 ml of boiled water. The water should be slightly warmer than room temperature, approximately 30 degrees. When gargling with natural antiseptics (soda and salt), it is important to maintain the correct proportions of all components; in some cases, it is recommended to add iodine.
Such gargles will be useful not only for the throat, but will also have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect in case of dental diseases: periodontitis, stomatitis, glossitis, gingivitis, and will also help whiten tooth enamel.
Contraindications for use
Gargling with a triple composition is contraindicated for diseases of the digestive tract, cardiovascular system, and for women during the period of bearing a child in the first trimester of pregnancy.
The procedure is also prohibited in case of individual intolerance and gag reflex to individual components.
In children, the use of the medicinal solution is contraindicated until 3 years of age.
In addition, increased iodine content in the body, high temperature and kidney pathologies also prohibit manipulation.
Iodine in therapeutic rinses and inhalations
Typically, iodine is part of a complex solution in combination with salt and soda, and is used for daily gargling when the mucous membrane is inflamed and swollen. The best effect from the use of iodine occurs in the case of purulent processes, when the tonsils contain necrotic tissue that spreads bacteria.
Iodine perfectly neutralizes pyogenic microbes, cleanses the mucous membrane and sanitizes the throat.
Add 3 drops of iodine to the prepared solution of salt and soda, volume 100 ml. Rinse three times a day. As acute phenomena subside, the frequency of procedures is reduced. If sea salt is used, there is no need to add iodine.
Iodine nets and iodine-based inhalations will help supplement rinsing and speed up the healing process.
Iodine mesh – absorbable therapy for the throat
Iodine meshes are used as absorbable therapy. Using a regular ear stick we draw horizontal and vertical stripes. This old method has long been used to prevent the development of abscesses after intramuscular injection of oil and other solutions.
In ENT practice, an iodine mesh is applied to the neck and sternum (do not touch the thyroid area). Thanks to this “coloring”, lymphoid granules in the throat during pharyngitis dissolve, microcirculation of blood vessels improves, swelling and inflammation are relieved.
Iodine inhalations
To carry out inhalations, you will need a liter saucepan with cooled boiled water, the temperature of which should not exceed 45 degrees. Drop 2-3 drops of iodine into this water and mix. Inhalations containing iodine last up to 5 minutes.
It should be noted that iodine treatment is not suitable for everyone, and it has its own contraindications: individual intolerance, hypertension, chronic atrophic pharyngitis, enlarged thyroid gland, pregnancy, and others.
How to gargle with salt, soda and iodine for adults
The rinsing procedure is quite simple. The proportions for preparing a solution with salt, baking soda and iodine are very simple. To do this, you need to first prepare a solution with a volume of 250 ml.
Then the drug is taken into the mouth in small portions, the head is tilted back a little and rinsed for 20-30 seconds. At the end, the liquid is spat out. The duration of the manipulation is no more than 10 minutes, up to 2 times a day.
At the initial stage of development of the disease, the procedure is carried out a little differently. Gargle in 5-6 approaches and each time add 2-3 drops of iodine to the medicinal solution. If signs of irritation are observed, additional use of iodine is excluded.
The procedure is repeated many times a day and regularly until the condition improves. Then, rinsing is carried out for preventive purposes 2 times a day in the morning and evening.
Each time a new medicinal composition is prepared to wash the throat.
When manipulating, it is worth considering food intake. It is advisable to carry out the procedure 30 minutes before meals and an hour after.
