Swollen and painful epiglottis can be treated with saline, but this action is not curative.
If the symptoms of swollen and painful epiglottis are caused by microbial infection, gargling with light salt water can be an adjunctive treatment.
If the symptoms of swollen and painful epiglottis are caused by non-infectious factors, or by the involvement of other lesions, gargling with salt water can only serve to clean the mouth.