Salt forms a vital part of our daily food habit but you would be unaware about the fact that it is an amazing home remedy to many of your minor ailments as well. It has a great soothing property and gives such satisfying results that you do not need any Ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory to treat your pain. It is also known for its cleansing action and helps in promoting healing too. Salt is a basic necessity for good health but only till the time it is taken in proper measure; too much and too less of it can be harmful. Salt also helps in carrying nutrients to our cells, regulates the blood pressure and muscle contractions; and helps in using the minerals like calcium and potassium.
1. Foot or leg cramps
There are a lot of reasons behind leg/foot cramps but deficiency of calcium and potassium is one of them. It has been seen that even if you start taking calcium and potassium in food form or as supplements, it fails to give you instant relief. Some of the doctors give this interesting recommendation to their patients facing foot cramps.
How it works
Sometimes it is not the lack of calcium or potassium that cause foot cramps but the lack of these minerals not able to reach where they are supposed to. As salt helps to regulate the flow of minerals in our body, it is best suited for this job.
How to use
1. Sprinkle a little bit of salt on your palm.
2. Try to lick it and then swallow it.
3. You would feel an immediate and long-lasting relief from your pain.
Do’s and Don’ts
1. Do not put too much stress on your foot
2. Do take enough rest to avoid aggravating the pain
2. Sore Throat
Sore throat causes pain and inflammation in the throat which takes days to go away. It has been seen that to gargle with salt water gives a long lasting relief from sore throat and is the best remedy known.
How it works
Sore throats are result of a viral or bacterial infection and cause inflammation. As salt has great inflammation soothing property, for a sore throat, to gargle with salt water is the best remedy as it gives you an instant relief.
How to use
1. You can prepare the salt water solution the same away as was discussed above but this time the amount of salt water prepared should be more, like 4 ounces.
2. Take the saltwater in your mouth and gargle it for about thirty seconds.
3. Repeat action and you will experience a long lasting relief.
Do’s and Don’t
1. Avoid sour and cold food items.
2. Drink hot soups, tea or coffee.
3. Toothaches
This home remedy is even recommended by real dentists at the time of toothache to the patient. If you are having a toothache, try rinsing your mouth with saltwater; it would soothe your gum pain and will promote healing. Though saltwater does not cure more severe problems but if you have got your dental work or the popcorn husk has stuck in your gum, saltwater can give you an instant relief that you would not require any painkillers. If you have got your tooth pulled, rinsing your mouth with saltwater will help you prevent dry socket.
How it works
When you use saltwater it cleanses your mouth and does more good to you than just soothe the pain.
How to use
1. To prepare a salt water rinse solution, take an ounce or two of warm water in a cup.
2. Sprinkle little salt in that and stir it.
3. Now rinse your mouth with that but do not swallow it.
4. You would feel an instant relief from the pain.
Do’s and Don’ts
1. Just dispose the unused portion. Do not use too much of saltwater for one rinse as leaving it even for an hour will turn it bitter.
2. You can use this remedy twice to thrice a day.
4. Neti pot or saline rinse for nose
Neti pots came into existence since the time of Ayurveda. The basic idea behind using this technique is to clean your nasal passages with salt water, which thins the mucous inside your nostrils and helps the cilia to fight against bacteria and other allergens. It is proven to provide instant relief.
How it works
The Neti pot or any of its variations would be an effective way to clean your nasal passages but it is not for everybody as some of you may feel drown at the first place, so there is another alternative to this which helps you prepare it at home. Using this simple practice with salt water will also clean your nasal passage and help thin the mucous.
How to use
1. Prepare a little of salt water solution same as discussed above.
2. Now put a few drops of this salt water on the spoon.
3. Put that spoon under one of the nostril and try to sniff it as much as you can.
Though it would not rinse anything out of your nose like Neti pot, but this will certainly cleanse your nasal passage and simultaneously help moisturizing it. It also gives you instant relief and the nasal passage gets cleaned.
Do’s and Don’ts
1. Do not put the salt water in your nostril, instead try to sniff it
2. Repeating this two to three times would be fine.
