How to Use Peppermint Oil for Sore Throat?

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Home remedies, anyone? Living away from the city does not give you easy access to medicine. Usually, you are exposed to herbs as home remedies for common ailments. It sometimes comes as a surprise when you discover that a familiar plant that you usually see around the corner is useful for coughs, colds and some body pains. In addition, peppermint is used in pressed juice and smoothie recipes

When we talk about a sore throat, the most popular home remedy for it is peppermint oil. How exactly are we going to use peppermint oil for a sore throat?

What is Peppermint Oil?

Peppermint Oil helps against Sore Throat

Peppermint Oil helps against Sore Throat

First of all, peppermint is a crossbred genus of spearmint and water mint. Peppermint is one of the ancient herbs used for many medicinal purposes. Not only until people learned how to extract the oil from the herbs that we now have the what we call peppermint oil. Peppermint oil is the fluid extracted from peppermints and its composition includes menthol and menthone.

Different ways on how to use Peppermint Oil for Sore Throat

Peppermint is known to be a good remedy for respiratory discomforts and sore throat is one of them. A sore throat usually last for an average of 6-7 days.

Peppermint Oil helps against Sore Throat

  • Gargle – the easiest method is to gargle with it. Put a few drops of peppermint oil in a ½ cup of warm water and mix it. Gargle for a minute. Never swallow the mixture! Do it every 3-4 hrs. or as you feel you need to.
  • Inhaling – try to put a few drops of oil to your palm. Rub it hard and cover your nose with both hands. Inhale deeply 6 times. Another method in order for you to inhale it is through steaming. Put 7-9 drops of peppermint oil in a small pot of boiling water, cover your head with a towel so that you can trap the steam, then breathe it in for 10 minutes or until the steam is gone.
  • Throat Massage – Choose your favorite massage oil. Mix the massage oil and a drop of peppermint oil into your palm and rub it together. Using your hand, massage your throat gently. Do this at least 3 times a day for relief.
  • Drink tea – Choose your favorite tea. Put a teabag in a cup of hot water and mix it with honey. Drop peppermint oil and mix it well. Sip the tea.
  • Make a drink – Mix 2 drops of lemon, 1 drop of peppermint oil, 2 tsp. of honey and a cup of water. Drink it at least 2 times a day.

Other Health Benefits of Peppermint Oil

As you have learned peppermint oil has so many uses in terms of medicine and relief of a sore throat is just one of them. Below is a list of home remedies that it is best for. Here is a video you can watch on peppermint Health Benefits and uses:

  • Gas relief- peppermint oil drops mixed with favorite tea is a good sip if you have gas problems.
  • Aids Indigestion- drinking a glass of water with a few drops of peppermint will aid indigestion.
  • Treatment of Infant colic- gently rubbing a small amount of peppermint oil to the baby’s stomach for relief.
  • Relief of dry skin- peppermint water helps prevent nipple crack to nursing moms.
  • Antihistamine- peppermint leaves stop histamine release.
  • Enhance memory and alertness- inhaling the aroma of peppermint will keep you alert and enhances memory.
  • Acts as an expectorant and decongestant- offers relief to respiratory discomfort.
  • Relief of a headache- just rub peppermint oil to your temple for immediate relief.
  • Stress Relief- peppermint oil can be a cooler. You can add few drops to your body before bathing for instant stress relief.
  • Hair and Skin- mix a few drops of peppermint oil to your shampoo for dandruff relief.
  • Muscle Pain- use drops of peppermint oil to be used for massaging your body. It will ease you from muscle pains.

How to Make Peppermint Oil?

Let us learn how to make oil from peppermint. It is important that you should know since it has a lot of health benefits. It is also cheaper and practical to do it yourself.

Here is a video for you to watch on how to extract oil from peppermint:

Here is what you would do:

  1. Crush the peppermint leaves. You can actually use your bare hands to do it.
  2. Put the crushed peppermint leaves inside a tightly sealed bottle or jar.
  3. Cover the herbs with vodka. The more leaves, the more vodka you need.
  4. Shake the jar many times daily to release the oil. Do it within 3-4 days.
  5. Use a filter to strain the liquid from the leaves to another container.
  6. Use a clean filter to cover the liquid. Let it evaporate for a week.
  7. After evaporation, what is left is the essential oil. Now it is ready to use.

So, how is your sore throat? Now you know the importance of peppermint. Try to look for the herb and plant it in your yard. You can buy those at the market too. You can make your peppermint oil and store it for future use.

Home remedies are the best alternative for medicine and are cheap to make. If you have your own method of making it for remedies that were not covered, share your expertise with us by writing a comment.

Reference: Newhealthadvisor.com

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