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Yes, I have cold symptoms again. My mother-in-law's ear/nose/throat doc swears by gargling with warm salt water, though she knows no salt but table salt. I found this note about using a salt gargle against strep throat and another one about using a salt water nasal douche to clear up chronic sinusitis. Does this provide temporary relief of symptoms, reduce the overall duration of symptoms, both, or does it do something else? How does it work, and why? Feel free to get technical, I dig this stuff.
In Reply to: gargling with salt water posted by Phil on April 01, 2002 at 08:00:13:
salt is said to draw Lymph, the clear fluid that sometimes
comes out from a scrape instead of blood. It is said to
contain white cells that fight infections. I used to use it
only and then added cayenne which draws blood to the site
and it works a Lot better for me.
I split the tip of my finger last night and it was nasty
and I didn't want to look at it fearing I would see bone.
I washed it off in cold water to stop the bleeding which
took a while and any movement of the finger started the
blood flowing. I put cayenne and salt water on the gause
of a bandaid and dry cayenne on top and covered it up and
went out and hardlt know I split it. I expected to see
blood ooze out from the bandais even though it is an H
shaped one that wraps around the tip.
VF
In Reply to: gargling with salt water posted by Phil on April 01, 2002 at 08:00:13:
Hi, Phil.
So far as I know, this is just a way of putting a hot compress on your throat. The salt only makes the solution physiologic "too much causes irritation and not enough causes swelling" of the delicate tissues in the throat.
Hope this helps.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: gargling with salt water (Archive in hot compresses.) posted by Walt Stoll on April 02, 2002 at 10:31:10:
Walt, I never had a problem with using salt and I just
eyeball the amount I use. Either I am not sensitive or
can measure like Justin Wilson the cajun cook.(G)
VF
In Reply to: Re: gargling with salt water (Archive in hot compresses.) posted by Vince F on April 02, 2002 at 13:29:49:
Vince F.
\
It would take a real sensitive to be able to tell the difference between swelling or irritation. However, your body knows and the infection is laughing all the way to the bank.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: gargling with salt water (Archive in hot compresses.) posted by Walt Stoll on April 02, 2002 at 10:31:10:
I don't know much about compresses. The theme of the archives seems to be that a "hot" compress can help the body fight infection. But that's all I know.
I did try a salt gargle according to those proportions and after I did it I was thirsty so I drank some water. That probably undid all the good from the gargle, didn't it?
Does a warm salt gargle relieve pain?
If cold-related head pain and sore throat are preventing someone from sleeping, what do you suggest to help them get to sleep?
What temperature should a warm salt gargle be?
The pattern is as follows: An unusually warm day arrives, I go outdoors without a coat, next day I have cold symptoms. The obvious solution is to wear the coat but why does this happen? (Every time I bemoan my fate my wife insists that because of the germ theory of disease a coat is completely optional.)
In Reply to: Re: gargling with salt water (Archive in hot compresses.) posted by Phil on April 03, 2002 at 12:13:02:
Hi, Phil.
The purpose of the gargle is to deliver heat to the tissues. The warmer you can tolerate it witout burning yourself the more good it will do.
Anyone can test this by doing it and see how much it relieves symptoms immediately.
The most recent research (released this past month) says that cold exposure (even to being thoroughly chilled) has nothing to DO with any virus being "caught". Perhaps you should contact them.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: gargling with salt water (Archive in hot compresses.) posted by Phil on April 03, 2002 at 12:13:02:
I find that just geting the salt or salt and cayenne on
the affected area does a lot even if washed away soon after.
Only situation that seems to need to need to keep it wet or
on the site is the outer skin when I am trying to cure an
infected cut or something.
I think the hotter the better when it comes to using them
though I think it helps more if the problem has lasted a
while before treating it like maybe it speeds up the cure
that is desired to feel better. I usually get after problems
early and even take things cold and it helps.
Are you geting cold symptoms or maybe picked up an
allergin from being out ? If it is warm then why would not
wearing a coat cause a problem.
The belief that geting chilled or cold causing a cold
could be that we don't usually do things that make us cold
unless we really have to like handling an emergency where
we can't or don't get out of the cold and maybe the stress
or strains weaken us and make us susceptable to a bug that
is going around or that was in our system but being fought
off without visable signs.
VF
In Reply to: Re: gargling with salt water (Archive in hot compresses.) posted by Vince F on April 05, 2002 at 02:13:38:
Hi, Vince F.
Remember the old description of the weather: "It ain't the heat , it's the humidity." ?
Well in this case it IS the heat that counts.
Hope this helps.
Walt
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