Dealing with a Sore Throat?

Part 2 Sore Throat Remedies

A sore throat is a common ailment that can be very irritating and uncomfortable, as you already learned in Part 1 of this article series.

Jump over to Part 1 by Clicking here to learn more about the types of sore throat, as well as the main causes (if you have not already).

If Part 1 is how you ended up here, well, it’s time to check out the possible remedies that will allow you to take care of the issue at hand and prevent any further complications from occurring.

Without further ado – Let’s Get To It!

Disclaimer: This is not concreter medical advice! Consult with your medical professional in the case of consistent symptoms.

Treatment Options

As er mentioned, all the treatments and remedies that follow to be pointed out should always be combined with a visit to your doctor.

This is always the first thing you should do before you decide to do or take any medicine.

Viral Infections

Now, let’s talk about a sore throat caused by a viral infection.

This type of cause can make your sore throat last for up to six or seven days and usually subsides on its own during this time.

An important mention here is that antibiotics do not help cure a sore throat caused by a viral infection.

To ease pain or fever caused by a viral infection, taking acetaminophen or other mild pain relievers (Tylenol and others) is

often the recommended option.

A noteworthy mention here is that when treating children, you should never give them aspirin because it has been linked to Reye’s syndrome – a rare but potentially life-threatening syndrome that causes swelling in the liver and brain.

Bacterial Infections

When it is concluded that the culprit is a bacterial infection, you will probably receive a piece of paper from your doctor with a list of antibiotics and probiotics.

It is essential to the treatment to take the prescribed antibiotics by following the instructions and number of days.

Even if you don’t feel your throat is aching anymore, stopping the antibiotics could lead to the infection coming back, worsening, or spreading throughout other parts of the body. With a bacterial infection, your best bet is to stick to the doctors’ recommendations and let them give you the clearance to get off the prescribed meds!

Home Remedies, Anyone?

The harsh winter just came, you went out to enjoy all the snow with your friends (being the little kid that you were back then) and after hours of pure cold joy, you came back home only to realize you had a sore throat.

Your mom then instantly knew exactly what to give you, and boom, just a day later, you were back out in the snow (this time equipped better, though.)

Sounds familiar? Yeah.

Before western medicine took up by storm there was the home remedy treatment passed out throughout the generations.

When we are specifically talking about a sore throat, there isn’t that much of a division between people who decide to take care of themselves and doctors because the home remedies usually work like a charm.

The first one, and it’s a biggie, is …. Your Guessed It …. REST.

Getting plenty of sleep and resting your voice are practically the two most critical things to do.

After that, we have drinking fluids – lots and lots of them – to get that bug out of your system faster.

The logical follow-up is to consume comforting foods and drinks.

This is generally all the hot drinks like tea, warm water with honey, broth, etc. (Remember the goodness of a warm soup during your childhood years as we mentioned earlier?)

Gargling with salt water may also be a very effective way to help out your throat with the pain.

A saltwater gargle of 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (1250 to 2500 milligrams) of salt to 120 to 240 ml of water can help soothe a sore throat.

Dentists recommend to help kill germs in you mouth to gargle with warm salt water 30 seconds everyday.

Also, don’t forget to humidify the air!

It’s important to let fresh air in the room from time to time to get rid of the stale such.

And For The Alternative People …

Herbal or alternative products for sore throat are usually put in tea bags or some pills but can be consumed on their own for a better effect.

Teas, soups, or different combinations between slippery elm, licorice root, marshmallow root, Sunrider Calli Tea, Alpha 20C, ginger, dried Sambucus plant, garlic, and others have proven to be effective in situations with a sore throat.

It is essential to understand that not one of these methods is efficient by you itself.

A combination of these methods can prove to be most beneficial to your throat and overall health.

So…. if your throat is aching – UGH…. give yourself some rest, have a warm tea with honey, and let your body do what it does best – Healing You!

Sore Throat Issues?

Times like these make having a sore throat a sign of major issues?

Sore throat feels like yuck?

Are you Dealing with a Sore Throat?

Part 1 – Types of Sore Throat and Causes

A sore throat – we’ve all been there. That unexpected bug in the back of your tongue that is so hard to get rid of and can drive you crazzzzyyyy.

It is one of the most common and famous symptoms when it comes to getting sick, and there is probably not a single person in the world who has not felt that pain.

Today, we will talk about the sore throat, what it is, and what the main causes are.

Ready? Steady? Cough? Ick!

What is a Sore Throat?

A sore throat is painful, dry, or a scratchy feeling in the throat that each of us has experienced at one point in their lives.

There are three different types of sore throats:

  1. Pharyngitis
  2. Tonsillitis
  3. Laryngitis

Each of the 3 has an impact on a different area, so let’s briefly go over each one of them.

Pharyngitis

Pharyngitis is an inflammation of the pharynx and is characterized by a sore throat.The most common cause of pharyngitis is a viral infection, but it can also be caused by bacteria or another type of infection, such as strep throat.

Tonsillitis

Secondly, we have tonsillitis, a swelling of the tonsils – A soft tissue you have in the back of your mouth.

This is one of the most significant causes of a sore throat and difficulty swallowing.

Much like the first one, this is caused mainly by viral infections ad is fairly common in children.

Laryngitis

The symptoms can vary but usually have a lot in common. The ones that are usually pointed out mainly suggest a dry, scratchy and raw throat.ad more …yuck.

It is also quite normal to have accompanying symptoms to the sore throat – as well: runny nose, nasal congestion, cough, fever, headaches, body aches and more yuck.

Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx, which is the organ that produces sound during speech.

There are many causes including acute upper respiratory tract infections, allergies, and vocal abuse.

Laryngitis can also be caused by smoking cigarettes or inhaling other substances such as paint fumes, lead fumes or fumes from glues…or endless possibilities.

What Causes A Sore Throat

There are quite a few reasons for your throat to feel sore (besides Covid-19, Delta, Omicron) and it is usually a combo of climate change, changing seasons, and the immune capabilities of the body.

As you have learned above where we explained the three types of sore throat, viral infections are the major causes for catching a bug in your throat…(semi-pun intended).

Did you know that an estimated 90% of all cases of sore throat are related to viruses?

Now, certainly, all these viruses are not life-threatening but are sure to leave you in your bed for some time, and the first place it hits…it’s the throat.

It’s almost as if your throat is the messenger that says, “Something is about to go wrong!” (Wear a Mask.)

Bacterial Infections

After viruses we have bacterial infections. Pretty close to viruses, bacterial infections are also a pretty common culprit for a sore throat.

The most common bacterial infection is strep throat, which is caused by the Streptococcus (Remember this is a Spelling Bee) bacteria.

Allergies

Next, we have allergies – every person has them, and though not if particular danger, they all cause a sore throat!

When the immune system reacts to allergy triggers like pollen, grass, and pet dander, it releases chemicals that cause symptoms like nasal congestion, watery eyes, sneezing and throat irritation.

Excess mucus can drip down the back of the throat and cause inflammation and irritaion.

The Environment

Right after that, we have environmental factors like dry air, which are. also a prevalent factor for having a scratchy throat.

Dry air sucks moisture from the mouth and throat and leave them feeling dry and irritated.

This usually happens during the colder seasons when a Heater is on… PLUS – in super hot weather when the AC is constantly on.

Smoking (Or Smoke)

The final major reason for a sore throat is smoking.

Tobacco smoke dries out the throat and leaves it feeling raw and tender, which is also the case with fumes from fireplaces and plants as well as smoke coming from chimneys.

So, whether you are a smoke or not, breathing in smoke and/or dirty air can possibly lead to irratations.

The Cure

Alright, we took our time to explain the types of sore throats and the leading causes. Now a question you need to ask yourself…..

How can you actually treat a sore throat?

Honey? Tea? A goodnight shot of whiskey, perhaps?

Well, in Part Two — we will discuss the best ways to approach a sore throat, so jump on there…and let’s learn together.

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