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Health

Recipes for gargling the throat with baking soda for adults, children and in pregnancy

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Gargling with salt effectively eliminates symptoms of a cold, such as pain, irritation, dryness, and burning. When soda and iodine are added to such a solution, the anti-inflammatory effect of this procedure is enhanced.

Indications for the procedure

Saline solution is a natural disinfectant that can be used locally in case of such diseases: sinusitis and rhinitis, as well as sinusitis, and in addition laryngitis, tonsillitis and pharyngitis.

Gargling with sea salt for tonsillitis

Sea salt is a proven remedy for fighting catarrhal or purulent tonsillitis. In particular, gargling with such a solution is effective for chronic tonsillitis. The solution is prepared as follows: add 1 teaspoon of sea salt to 1 glass of water and stir until completely dissolved. Gargle with tonsillitis no more than 6-8 times a day. You can use sea water bought at a pharmacy, which is sold in special bottles with attachments.

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Gargling with salt for pharyngitis

Gargling with saline solution is effective in the case of purulent pharyngitis. Salt helps remove dead tissue cells and pus from the back of the throat and tonsils, and also relieves pain, swelling, and inflammation in the throat.

Until all the pus is gone, you should gargle with the solution every hour. Later, it is better to do this procedure a maximum of three times a day to avoid tissue drying out.

Gargling with salt for children

To prepare a saline solution for a child, 0.5 teaspoon of salt will be enough, there is no need for a larger dose. It should be taken into account that if you also add iodine to the solution, it is better to use it no more than 1-2 times a day, and regular salt-soda solutions are allowed to be used 4-5 times.

For children, it is better to use boiled water at room temperature. The procedure is allowed only at an age when the child is already able to independently control the process of rinsing and swallowing. Therefore, it is not advisable to carry it out for children under 5 years old - they risk swallowing the solution, and this can damage internal organs (iodine is a particularly dangerous component).

Gargling with salt during pregnancy

Gargling with a salt solution during pregnancy is not prohibited. It is best to use sea salt, but if you don’t have it, you can use regular iodized salt. A sea salt solution helps disinfect the throat, heal wounds on irritated mucous membranes, and remove swelling.

The rinsing procedure should last about 5 minutes, do not rush - short-term rinsing will not give the desired effect. After the procedure, you should not drink or eat for some time to allow the sea salt to affect the bacteria.

Preparation

When preparing a medicinal solution, you need to remember that you cannot use hot water - you need to boil it first, but then let it cool - only after this can the solution be used for rinsing.

For 1 glass of boiled water, 1 teaspoon of salt is enough. It must be thoroughly mixed so that it completely dissolves in water. It is recommended to perform the rinsing procedure at least 1 time per hour.

It is important to remember that for each new procedure you need to make a fresh solution; you cannot use the leftovers from the previous time.

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Technique salt gargle

You need to take the prepared solution in your mouth, throw your head back and pronounce a drawn-out "ыыы". This will allow the medicine to more fully rinse all areas of the larynx. This rinsing should be done for about 15-25 seconds, then spit out the solution and repeat this process. Do not throw your head back too much, so as not to choke on water.

Do not allow the solution to be swallowed, as its active ingredients may adversely affect the gastric mucosa.

Recipes for gargling with soda and salt

Mix 0.5 teaspoons of soda and salt, then add the mixture to a glass of warm water. Rinsing should be done no more than 3 times a day, and the minimum duration of the procedure should be 5 minutes.

Proportions of soda, salt and iodine for rinsing

When preparing the solution, the following proportions must be observed:

  • Boiled water (250 g) - it is best if its temperature is within 30-40 degrees, otherwise there is a risk of burning the mucous membrane, and in addition, the hot solution is absorbed faster, which can worsen the patient's condition;
  • Take 2 teaspoons of salt (about 10 g) and 1 teaspoon of soda;
  • 2-3 drops of iodine solution.

Gargling with soda and salt

A solution of salt and soda is similar in composition to sea water, which has many healing properties. It has been used as a healing agent for a very long time. This solution achieves its effectiveness due to the fact that under its influence the pH can change. Bacteria multiply in an environment with a certain acidity level, and soda and salt change its level, as a result of which microbes find themselves in uncomfortable conditions and die.

Contraindications to the procedure

It is contraindicated to use a solution with salt, soda and iodine for people with heart disease - this remedy can worsen their health.

Gargling with such a solution should be done with caution (or the procedure should be avoided altogether) if you have a stomach ulcer, because during the gargling process a little of the solution penetrates inside, causing irritation of the gastric mucosa, as a result of which the person feels pain and discomfort.

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Consequences after the procedure

Gargling with a saline solution helps remove swelling of the soft tissues in the throat. In addition, the solution helps eliminate viruses, fungi and microbes that provoked the development of the disease.

For example, this remedy helps treat tonsillitis, which causes abscesses to form on the tonsils. When gargling with a saline solution, the wounds heal faster, which speeds up the recovery process.

The rinsing procedure cleanses the oral cavity from plaque and phlegm, reduces inflammation without irritating the mucous membrane of the throat.

Complications after the procedure

It is very important to follow the dosage specified in the recipes when mixing the solution - for example, an excess of iodine can cause quite unpleasant complications. You should also not overuse gargles - this can lead to overdrying of the mucous membrane, which, on the contrary, will worsen the cough.

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Care after the procedure

Gargling with salt is an effective procedure, but to obtain the desired result, you must refrain from eating and drinking for some time after the procedure (about half an hour will be enough for the salt to act on the carriers of infection in the throat).

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