Here are home remedies for throat pain that work really fast&nbsp | &nbspPhoto Credit:&nbspGetty Images

Throat pain usually occurs due to red and swollen tonsils or several other reasons such as colds, flu, viral infections, injury, tumour, and other bacterial infections. Since the Smoke, chemicals, pollutant, and other irritants act as a catalyst that can cause sore throat. Throat problems are very common due to colds, flu, and other viral infections.

Problems that affect the throat include

1. Tonsillitis: Tonsillitis is an inflammation of your tonsils that causes sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and swollen tonsils (two lymph nodes located on each side of the back of your throat). Tonsilitis is contagious and caused by bacteria and viruses. Depending upon its severity it can be acute, chronic and recurrent. Common symptoms for tonsilitis include bad breath, sore throat, difficulty eating, and pain while swallowing. Swallowing is a complex action involving the muscles and nerves within the pharynx (part of the throat – loosely put – windpipe) and oesophagus (loosely translated – food pipe), and also involves the brain. So when the cold infection affects the pharynx, the swallowing action involving the adjoining oesophagal muscles sends pain signals to the brain. 
2. Laryngitis: Laryngitis is an inflammation or swelling in the larynx (hollow muscular organ forming an air passage to the lungs). Common symptoms of laryngitis include dry cough, swollen glands, hoarseness in the voice, and trouble speaking.

Signs & symptoms of throat pain include:

• Scratchy sensation in the throat
• Pain while swallowing and drinking
• Difficulty talking
• Swollen glands in your neck
• A hoarse voice
• A lump or thickness in the neck

What causes throat pain?

• Acid reflux and a sore throat may include a cold virus
• Bacterial and viral infections such as cold and flu
• Irritation from dry air, chemicals, or cigarette smoke
• Allergies such as dust and mould
• Infections of the nasal passages
• Laryngitis from voice overuse

Throat pain: Who’s at risk?

• Children and teens
• Those who indulge in excessive use of air conditioners

Natural home remedies for throat pain:

1. Rest your voice as much as possible because it helps your vocal cord to heal.
2. Moisten your throat i.e. gargle with a mixture of warm water and half teaspoon of salt twice a day. Do not overdo this as it can hurt the throat’s mucous lining and worsen your condition.
3. Drink plenty of fluids, it helps the thin the mucous lining of the throat to stay moist.
4. Avoid smoking because it causes scratchy and burning feeling at the back of your throat. The heat generated by cigarettes can also dry out the throat and causes it to become sore.
5. Turn on a cool-mist humidifier.
6. Stay hydrated, it can help ease congestion and keep the throat moist.
7. The best way to prevent yourself from any king of throat disorder is to avoid exposure to common allergens, pollutants, chemicals, and other irritants because they act as a propellant.

When to visit a doctor?

If throat pain signs or symptoms such as scratchy sensation in the throat, muffled voice, difficulty swallowing, and difficulty talking persist for more than two weeks without improvement and make your routine tasks difficult, then it is better to consult a doctor or medical practitioner for an examination. Consulting a physician is always advisable because getting to the root cause of sore throat or finding the difference between a bacterial and viral cause of throat pain is difficult.