These are from all different sites, compiled on here for your use. Hope it helps.
Cough Remedy
Warning!! This is spicy and potent enough to actually clear your head
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (preferably Bragg's, if available)
2 tablespoons honey (locally produced raw honey is best, if available)
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Place all the ingredients in a small jar and shake to combine. Leave at room temperature for a few days or place in the refrigerator for longer storage. Shake well each time, before using. The spices will not dissolve into the liquid. It will not be a thick syrup, it should remain watery. Take as needed and have a happy and healthy new year!
Apple-Cider Vinegar and Honey Cough Syrup
A homemade apple-cider vinegar and honey cough syrup can clear congestion and reduce your cough naturally.
Mix 1/4 tsp. ground ginger, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp. honey, 2 tbsp. water and 1 tbsp. apple-cider vinegar.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly, and take 1 tsp. at a time every few hours to suppress the cough.
Apple-Cider Vinegar Pillow
Apple-cider vinegar is a time-honored folk remedy. Dabbing your pillowcase with apple-cider vinegar before bed may help reduce nighttime coughing. The scent of the apple-cider vinegar may soothe and calm your throat, making you less likely to cough throughout the night.
Teaspoon of Honey>
Taking 2 tsp. of honey may be as effective as dextromethorphan, the active ingredient in many over-the-counter cough syrups. Honey coats the throat, soothing the rawness and irritation. Additionally, honey may help reduce congestion. Although it is rare, honey does pose a risk of infant botulism, so do not give honey to children under the age of 1.
Honey and Hot Water>
If you're not keen on drinking honey straight out of the bottle, mix 2 tsp. of honey in a mug of hot water. Squeeze a wedge of lemon into the cup, and stir until the ingredients are combined. Sip slowly to soothe the throat and alleviate your cough. Honey will soothe your cough, while the lemon juice will cut through the mucous in the back of your throat. Drink every few hours, as needed.
Sore Throat Remedies
• For fast and effective sore-throat relief, nothing beats an old-fashioned saltwater gargle. Salt acts as a mild antiseptic, and also draws water out of mucous membranes in the throat, which helps to clear phlegm. Dissolve a half-teaspoon salt in a glass of warm water, gargle and spit out. Repeat up to four times a day.
• Alternatively, gargle with a baking-soda solution. Dissolve one-half teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of warm water.
• Run a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier in your bedroom. Adding moisture to the air will help keep the air from drying out and prevent the lining of your throat from becoming too dry. If you don’t have a humidifier, place a bowl of water on your radiator or heating vent each night. It will work as well as a store-bought device.
• Horehound reduces the swelling of inflamed throat tissue. It also thins mucus, which makes it easier for you to clear it from your throat. To make the tea, steep 2 teaspoons chopped herb in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes; strain and drink.
• Slippery elm contains mucilage that coats the throat and eases the soreness. Steep 1 teaspoon of the inner bark in 2 cups boiling water, strain and drink.
• Like slippery elm bark, marshmallow root (Althea officinalis) contains throat-coating mucilage. To make the tea, steep 2 teaspoons dried herb in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes; strain and drink. Drink three to five cups a day to help a sore throat.
• Take vitamin C three times a day. Whether your sore throat is caused by a cold, the flu or strep, this vitamin will help boost your immune system and fight off infection. Reduce the dose if you develop diarrhea.
• Echinacea. This herb’s antibacterial and antiviral properties will speed healing.
• Garlic, as another aid to fight off infection. Dried garlic has potent antibacterial and antiseptic properties.
• Zinc lozenge. In one study, people who sucked on a lozenge containing about 13 milligrams of zinc every two hours got rid of viral sore throats three to four days quicker than those who didn’t. But too much zinc can actually compromise immunity, which is why you shouldn’t take the lozenges for a long time.
Steps for sore throat
1: Keep Your Nasal Passages Clear
Doctors agree that two of the most common causes of sore-throat pain are postnasal drip and a dry throat that results from sleeping with your mouth open when your nasal passages are blocked.
Decongestants, especially those containing pseudo-ephedrine (read package labels), may be helpful in stopping the flow; follow package directions carefully. Using saline nasal spray can help make breathing easier promptly though temporarily, and it's probably worth investing in a humidifier to run in your bedroom at night.
2: Rest and Take It Easy
Common sense dictates staying in bed or at least resting when a sore throat's got you down. Taking it easy leaves more energy to fight the infection. If your sore throat doesn't require medical attention, rest will help get you back on the road to recovery.
3: Gargle
Gargle raspberry tea. Raspberry leaf tea can make a great gargle. (To make, pour 1 cup boiling water over 2 teaspoons dried leaves. Steep for 10 minutes, then strain. Allow to cool.) If you also have a fever, the gargle can be used as a fever-reducing drink, too. Do not drink any liquid you have used as a gargle.
Gargle with sage. This curative herb is a great sore-throat gargle. Mix 1 teaspoon in 1 cup boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes, then strain. Add 1 teaspoon each cider vinegar and honey, then gargle four times a day.
Gargle with turmeric. Try this gargle to calm a cranky throat. Mix together 1 cup hot water, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gargle with the mixture twice a day. If you're not good with the gargle, mix 1/2 teaspoon turmeric in 1 cup hot milk and drink. Turmeric stains clothing, so be careful when mixing and gargling.
Gargle with warm saltwater. If you can gargle without gagging, make a saline solution by adding 1/2 teaspoon salt to a cup of very warm water. Yes, when your mother told you to gargle with saltwater, she knew what she was talking about. It cuts phlegm and reduces inflammation. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon salt in 1/2 cup warm water, and gargle every three to four hours.
Gargle with Listerine. Another good gargling fluid is Listerine mouthwash. If you share the product with anyone else in your household, don't drink straight from the bottle; instead, pour a small amount into a cup (and don't share that, either).
4: Drink Cider Vinegar
This sore throat cure is found in several different remedies. Some doctors still swear that it is surprisingly palatable and works wonders. (Do not give it -- or any other honey-containing food or beverage -- to children under two years of age. Honey can carry a bacterium that can cause a kind of food poisoning called infant botulism and may also cause allergic reactions in very young children.)
1 tablespoon honey, any kind
1 tablespoon vinegar, preferably apple-cider vinegar
8 ounces hot water
Mix all the ingredients together in a mug and sip slowly (but don't let it get cold). Use as often as desired.
For gargling: You'll need 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, and 1 cup warm water. Dissolve the salt in the vinegar, then mix in the water. Gargle every 15 minutes as necessary.
5: Make a Horseradish Cocktail
Try this Russian sore-throat cure. Combine 1 tablespoon pure horseradish or horseradish root with 1 teaspoon honey and 1 teaspoon ground cloves. Mix in a glass of warm water and drink slowly.
6: Use Citrus
Sip lemon juice. Mix 1 tablespoon each of honey and lemon juice in 1 cup warm water and sip away.
Drink lime juice. Combine 1 spoonful with a spoonful of honey and take as often as needed for a sore throat.
7: Take an Analgesic
Plain old aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen can do wonders for sore-throat pain. However, aspirin shouldn't be given to children under the age of 19 because of the risk of Reye's syndrome, a potentially fatal condition. Pregnant and nursing women should check with their doctor before taking any medication
8: Eat a Juice Bar
Juice bars are cold and soothing to a hot throat. Don't suck, though. Sucking may irritate the throat even more. Simply let small pieces melt in your mouth.
9: Drink Hot Liquids
Especially if you're not good at gargling, drink hot fluids, such as coffee, tea or hot lemonade. Coating the tissue in your throat with warm liquid provides a benefit similar to applying hot packs to infected skin. (And sipping hot tea is more pleasant than trying to swallow a hot pack.)
To make a soothing tea, use a spoonful of marjoram steeped in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain, then sweeten to taste with honey.
10: Grab Some Hard Candy
Think of a sore throat as an excuse to indulge your sweet tooth, since some doctors say that sugar can help soothe a sore throat and the ticklish cough that may come with it. If nothing else, sucking on hard candy -- in the sugar-free variety -- can help keep your mouth and throat moist, which will make you feel more comfortable.
11: Steam It Out
One old-fashioned remedy for a cold or sore throat is a steam tent -- sitting with your face over a bowl of steaming hot water and your head covered with a towel to keep the steam in. Adding 1 to 2 drops eucalyptus oil can be soothing.
While it's easy to dismiss such a simple measure as an old wives' tale, several scientific studies have shown that steaming can actually shorten the duration of a throat infection.
12: Keep the Fluids Coming
Drink as much fluid as possible -- at least eight to 10 8-ounce glasses per day. Keeping your throat well lubricated with soothing liquids can prevent it from becoming dry and irritated and may even help banish the infection faster.
13: Suck on Garlic
This Amish remedy can treat or prevent sore throats. Peel a fresh clove, slice it in half, and place 1 piece in each cheek. Suck on the garlic like a cough drop. Occasionally, crush your teeth against the garlic, not to bite it in half, but to release its allicin, a chemical that can kill the bacteria that causes strep.
14: Spray It
Analgesic sprays, such as Chloraseptic, may be effective in temporarily relieving sore-throat pain. The only problem is that the effect doesn't last long. You may have to spray several times an hour. However, the sprays won't harm you and may take the edge off an extremely painful throat.
Also, when treating a sore throat, nix the colas and scratchy foods, such as chips and pretzels. They'll irritate an already irritated throat.
