Cayenne to Relieve a Flaming Sore Throat?

Flames erupted within my throat.

Burning pain, and no water could staunch it.

I had a sore throat...  The sore throat to end all sore throats.

We all have some sort of ailment that makes us feel as though the end is near, whenever it comes calling.  Some people are completely floored by sneezes, some by nausea.  These problems, while not fun in the least, are perfectly manageable to me.

Sore throats, on the other hand, are torture.  Syrups don't work, nor do cough drops.  Chloraseptic spray works for a brief period, but pretty much numbs my entire mouth, so that's out, as well.

And besides... who wants to throw something with the word septic down their throat?  I mean, seriously... the word is derived from the Greek word meaning putrefaction.  Eew.

What's left?

Natural home remedies, of course!  I've tried many, with various levels of success and failure.  There is one, however, that stands out from the rest.  It's cheap, and it's super easy.

And most people have the ingredients in their kitchens.

Sweet!

What is it, then?

Three ingredients:

Cayenne pepper, 

Honey, 

Lemon juice

Yep.  It's that easy.  I first found this sore throat remedy on the Earth Clinic site last year.  I was desperate for sore throat relief, and was willing to try anything within reason.  I saw no harm in lemon, honey, or cayenne pepper, so I tried it.

And it worked!

I simply mix 1 teaspoon of cayenne with (roughly) a tablespoon of lemon juice plus a couple of teaspoons of honey, and drink it.  Almost immediately, it begins to relieve the burning pain.

The Ingredients, and Why They Work

Cayenne Pepper:

Cayenne has a chemical known as capsaicin, which acts as a pain reliever.  It basically stops pain signals from reaching your brain.

Cayenne will not cure a sore throat, but it does a great deal to relieve the pain, and let's face it.  Pain relief is pretty important to your mental well-being.  The better you feel, the easier it is for your body to heal itself, because your stress levels aren't quite as high. Indeed, if all you care about is pain relief, you can easily just mix it with some warm water and gargle.

Some people can't handle that much cayenne pepper, so it really depends on your own tolerances.  If you think that seems like too much, there's nothing wrong with using less.

Honey:

We all know I have a great love of bees and their honey.  Previously, I mentioned the benefits of honey in allergy relief.  Honey does much more than that, though.

Honey has antimicrobial properties.  That means that on top of providing soothing relief in the form of a smooth layer over the throat, it also acts against the bacteria that cause the sore throat.  It also has the benefit of immunity building, which means you have some protection against the next round of germs that travel your way.

Bonus!

Lemon:

This last ingredient simply boosts the antimicrobial properties of honey, while reducing mucus.  This is, no doubt, due to the acidic content of this citrus fruit.  Lemon is also high in vitamin C.

This is my preferred recipe for sore throat relief.

It's what works for me, and it relieves my sore throat much faster than any other method I've tried, both medical and holistic.  You should always see a doctor if your symptoms last longer than 3-5 days, but unless you have a sensitivity or allergy to any of these ingredients, I would argue that this is a very worthwhile method.