What are the side effects or precautions of saltwater rinses?
You may experience irritated gums or bleeding if you overuse saltwater rinses. Contrary to popular opinion, it is safe to swallow saltwater solutions, but it is best to spit them out.
When it comes to infections, experts say that it is better to spit out the saltwater to prevent the spreading of the infection. However, you should avoid washing your mouth with salt water rinses more than once a day. Also, you may experience dehydration [6] if you swallow too much salt water.
How to make saltwater rinses
You can make your saltwater rinses by following these steps:
- You should use warm water because warmth gives more relief to a sore throat than cold water. It also helps dissolve the water faster.
- You can use any type of salt, and ingredients such as honey (for extra soothing and healing properties). Most saltwater rinse recipes require 8 ounces of warm water and 1 teaspoon of salt. However, you can reduce the salt to a ½ teaspoon for the first 1 or 2 days, if your mouth is sensitive and the saltwater rinse stings.
- Boil water then removes from heat, add salt, and stir. Leave the salt water for a while to cool to a warm temperature before rinsing your mouth. After rinsing your mouth, you can remove any remaining solution to avoid infection.