Every time I suffered from a sore throat, my mother asked me to do gargles.
As a child, I was never aware of the right technique to do it.
The worst part was I always swallowed the gargled water.
Despite this, this always soothed my throat…thanks to many saltwater gargle benefits!
After my mother’s long-held belief in this home remedy, I was convinced that gargles were a great help.
All you need is a tea spoon of table salt or sea salt in lukewarm water and gargle it at the back of your throat and then spit this water. This is a cheap and easiest home remedy for many of your health problems.
Let’s know more about the benefits of gargling salt water every day and how to do it right!
Table of Contents
What is Salt Water Gargle Good For?
This oldest remedy is known for its many health benefits. Treating your sore throat is only among these. Let’s know more about saltwater gargles’ benefits.
1- Treats Sore Throat
Sore throat is a common health problem in people of all ages.
Especially during winters, many people deal with this. So, before you let the infection spread and go on antibiotics, salt water gargles can be a help for you. The gargling action helps to flush out the infection-causing germs thus preventing a sore throat.
2- Good for Nasal Congestion
Just like sore throat, nasal congestion can be a heck of a problem to deal with.
But thanks to salt water gargles benefits help to reduce the inflammation and soothe your throat. Other than this, flushing off bacteria and viruses causing the trouble makes it a good weapon against nasal congestion.
Read more about tips to relieve nasal congestion.
3- Heals Canker Sores
Have you seen those small ulcers in your mouth?
These are the canker sores. Many things can bring them; from accidental biting of your cheeks to acidic foods, hormonal balance and stress, all of this can leave canker sores in your mouth. Saltwater gargles are beneficial as they can help the healing of canker sores.
Doing salt water gargles can reduce the size of sores and aches.
4- Prevents Cough and Respiratory Infections
Next in the list of saltwater gargles benefits comes its role in the prevention of cough.
Clearing out your throat cavity helps to get rid of the irritation of the throat that can be resulting in cough and upper respiratory tract infections. So, doing saltwater gargles daily can help you to have good respiratory health.
5- Good for Tonsils
How many of you have suffered from tonsillitis?
This happens when the tonsils at the back of your throat become infected with bacteria or viruses. This infection causes the symptoms of tonsillitis. However, doing salt water gargles helps to relieve the symptoms associated with tonsillitis.
Read more about tonsil home remedies.
6- Regulates pH
A healthy pH is important for your throat health.
This is because it helps to control the growth of bacteria in your throat. These bacteria can then result in different types of throat infections. So, a healthy pH is important for your respiratory health. Saltwater gargles benefits cover you here. Doing salt water gargles regularly, can help to maintain a healthy pH in your throat that inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria in your throat.
7- Improves Oral Health
Even if it’s bad breath or toothache, we know salt water gargles are beneficial.
This is because salt is a natural disinfectant. Just like the bacteria in your throat, it also helps to remove the bacteria in your mouth that can be damaging your teeth. Further, it helps to soothe the toothache by reducing the inflammation in your oral cavity. Another way in which salt water gargles help your oral health is that swishing water in your mouth helps to flush out the toxins from your mouth.
Read more about home remedies for bad breath.
8- Good for Gum Health
Even if it’s gum bleeding or gum diseases like gingival, the damage to your gums is inevitable.
However, all thanks to the many health benefits of salt water gargle.
Not only do gargles help to keep gum diseases away, but also tend to promote gum healing. There is enough scientific evidence that supports the idea that salt water gargles help to promote healing in human gingival fiber.
So, if you want to restore your gum health, then salt water gargles benefits cover you here.
9- Other Salt Water Gargles Benefits
Here are some other advantages of doing saltwater gargles that are good for you:
It may help you find candidiasis
Salt water gargles can help to protect your teeth’ enamel
These gargles are good against gingivitis.
I hope all these benefits of salt water gargles are convincing enough for you. This popular home remedy was a super-favourite of my physician at Ali Medical Center who treated me for respiratory allergy.
How to do Salt Water Gargles?
Saltwater gargles are safe for everyone to practice. Here is how you can do it right.
- Add half a tablespoon of table or sea salt and add it to a glass of lukewarm water
- Take a small amount of this solution into your mouth
- Now gargle the solution while keeping it at the back of your throat for as long as you can
- Then, swish this water in your oral cavity for another few second
- Spit out the water and repeat the procedure.
What are Some Precautions during Saltwater Gargles?
Here are a few things that you need to be aware of:
- Make sure the water is not too hot to burn your throat
- Don’t engulf water after swishing it as it contains bacteria and germs
- Parents should accompany their children when they are doing gargles to prevent any side effects.
Let’s Wrap Up!
There are many potential saltwater gargles benefits. Right?
From your oral health to your respiratory health, gargling is helpful for you. However, make sure to do it right. Just like brushing, make it a part of your everyday routine. If you still experience any signs of a throat infection after practicing gargles, seek out medical help from your physician. You can consult the best ENT specialist in Lahore via Healthwire to book your appointment and make wise decisions.
