Growing up, your parents probably told you to gargle with salt water to help the occasional
sore throat.
Although it may sound a bit like an old wives' tale, there is considerable evidence backed
by science now, to prove that gargling with salt water is beneficial for a sore throat.
Not just that, gargling with this simple mixture of warm water and salt has many other benefits.
And in today’s video, we will be telling you about them.
From maintaining your ph levels, clearing nasal congestion, providing relief from tonsillitis,
eliminating bad breath to relieving mouth ulcer pain and many more.
Soothes inflammation and prevents infection from returning: The addition of salt to a
glass of warm water used as a gargle creates an osmosis effect where the concentration
of salt draws fluids from your mouth and throat tissues to relieve a painful infection.
It also breaks up thick mucus, which can remove irritants like allergens, bacteria and fungi
from your throat.
For this reason, salt water gargles can help alleviate throat inflammation caused by seasonal
allergies, colds, and sinus infections.
But the simple mixture can also prevent an infection from striking twice.
The osmosis effect that helps your throat is also effective at drawing out harmful pathogens
on your gum tissues and creating a salt barrier that helps prevent their return.
Reduces Respiratory Infections: A 2005 study used a test group of 400 people split into
two groups.
One group was asked to gargle salt water three times a day.
The other group was not.
After a test run of 60 days during flu season, the group of people who used salt water gargle
saw a 40 percent decrease in upper respiratory tract infections compared to the other group.
For those who did get sick, their bronchial symptoms were helped by the salt water gargle.
A clinical study in Japan also recently showed that using a salt water gargle can reduce
the chance of upper respiratory infection by as much as 40 percent.
Treats Dental Plaque and Prevents Gingivitis: Saltwater gargles may treat and prevent dental
plaque and gingivitis.
Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that forms on the teeth and along your gum lining.
If left untreated for too long, it can harden into tartar and eventually develop into gingivitis.
Gingivitis is caused by swollen, painful gums.
It can also lead to more serious oral diseases and loss of teeth.
The best way to prevent this is by gargling with warm salt water a few times a week.
This helps remove the plaque build-up on your teeth which ultimately prevents gingivitis
as well.
Eases Sore Throat: A sore throat can be a result of bacterial or viral infections or
allergic reactions.
Gargling with salt water can help relieve the condition.
Salt water gargle works on the same principle as osmosis.
It makes the environment in your throat inhospitable for the bacteria or virus.
The solution flushes out the infection causing microbes.
Salt water gargle can help prevent several infections and keep your mouth clean.
Helps Balance pH Levels In Your Mouth: Salt water neutralizes acids caused by invading
bacteria.
This, in turn, helps keep a balanced pH level in your mouth.
The bacteria would much prefer a steamy, acidic home, which can also help prevent gingivitis.
Clears Mucus And Relieves Nasal Congestion: Gargling with warm salt water may help thin
out the mucus build-up in your respiratory tract and nasal cavity and expel it.
This reduces inflammation and may relieve throat pain.
The warm salt water also flushes out the bacteria and virus, which may otherwise lead to congestion.
Limited research is available at this point, and more studies are required to conclude.
Anecdotal evidence shows that saltwater gargles may relieve nasal congestion.
Eases Tonsillitis: Tonsils can get inflamed due to a bacterial or viral infection and
lead to symptoms like sore throat, troubled swallowing, and a yellow-white coating on
the tonsils.
Gargling with warm salt water can help relieve the pain in your throat and ease some of these
symptoms.
Fights Bad Breath: If your mouth is sensitive to traditional alcohol-based mouthwashes,
saltwater rinses are a cheap and natural alternative for fresh breath.
The oral bacteria that the saltwater helps fight off can be responsible for everything
from gingivitis to bad breath.
Swish with salt water after lunch or your coffee break, and enjoy fresh breath without
the intense sting of alcohol-based mouthwashes.
Plus, saltwater rinses help remove particles of food that are stuck between your teeth.
If left there, those particles could irritate and inflame your gums.
That could mean more cavities and more trips to the dentist.
Avoids and fights Candida: Candida is a fungus that inhabits your mouth.
But several alterations like pH balance and the suppression of the immune system, can
cause an overgrowth of yeast in the mouth and throat.
This condition is commonly known as oral thrush.
It presents itself through white spots in the oral area, and a difficulty to swallow.
Salt water gargles can reduce the symptoms when you already have the infection, it can
also help prevent it.
If the condition is severe, you should seek medical help.
Soothes Canker Sores: Canker sores are those small bothersome ulcers that you get in your
mouth.
They are sensitive and painful.
They can be caused by a myriad of reasons like accidentally biting the inside of your
cheek, sensitivity to certain foods, or hormonal fluctuations during menstruation.
Pain caused by canker sores and bleeding gums can be lessened by salt water gargle, which
is why it is a trusted go-to remedy.
Protects Your Tooth Enamel: Salt water has one mineral that can not only stop but even
reverse tooth decay, and it is fluoride!
The fluoride in salt water prevents loss of minerals from the tooth enamel and helps strengthen
it.
It also neutralizes the acids in your mouth that attack and weaken the enamel on your
teeth . So, make sure you incorporate a salt water rinse in your dental routine.
It Can Relieve the pain from cancer sores: One frequent side effect of chemotherapy,
is the painful swelling of the mucous cells in the throat which creates painful mouth
and throat sores.
Salt water can reduce that inflammation, reducing the pain, and also helps protect these sores
from bacterial growth.
Provides Relief From Toothaches: A toothache occurs due to the build-up of pus in the center
of your tooth as a result of a bacterial infection.
A saltwater gargle may relieve the pain by flushing out some of the fluid from the tooth.
You can rinse your mouth with salt water every few hours.
Salt is a natural disinfectant that may help ease the swelling in tissues.
May Ease Allergy Symptoms: Some allergies, such as hay fever, can cause your nasal passages
and throat to swell, which can be uncomfortable.
Gargling with salt water will not prevent the allergy but it may help alleviate some
of the throat discomfort.
Now that you know the benefits of Gargling with salt water, we will tell you how you
can prepare a saltwater gargling solution.
Start by bringing 8 ounces of warm water to a rolling boil for about 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat.
Now add 1 teaspoon of salt to it.
Let the water stand until it's cool enough to rinse with but warm enough to dissolve
the salt completely.
Gargle the water at the back of your throat for as long as possible.
Swish the water around your mouth and teeth after that.
Spit or swallow as per your convenience.
However, during infections, it is best to spit out water.
Do not consume too much of salt water as it can cause dehydration.
Drinking too much salt water can also lead to calcium deficiency in the body along with
high blood pressure.
So, Are There any Side Effects to Salt Water Gargling?
Salt water gargling does not have any serious side effects but there are some ways that
it can affect you negatively.
Firs, gargling with salt water that has too much salt in it can dehydrate the lining of
your throat and make it hurt even more.
Second, engaging in salt water gargling every day for a long period can soften the enamel
of your teeth and gums due to its acidic content.
So, make sure you limit it to just 2 or 3 times a week if you don’t have a sore throat.
And last, Make sure you spit out the salt water after gargling.
Swallowing too much salt water can be harmful as consuming excessive sodium can increase
your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Have you ever used a Salt Water Gargle?
How was it helpful to you?
Let us know in the comments section below!