What To Do When You Have a Sore Throat
Most of us know what it feels like to wake up with a sore throat. It can be a miserable experience, making it hard to swallow, speak, and even breathe. There can be multiple causes of a sore throat, from allergies to a virus, but regardless of the source, it’s important to find the right treatment. Here is a guide to some of the effective treatments for sore throats.
Rest & Hydration
The first step when you’re not feeling well is to get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids. This will help your body fight the infection causing your sore throat and give your immune system a fighting chance. Stick to drinking light fluids like water, tea, or low-sugar sports drinks, and avoid acidic and caffeinated beverages.
It’s also important to stay home from work and school when you have a sore throat. This will reduce your exposure to other germs and give your body the time it needs to rest and heal. Make sure to increase the humidity in your environment, such as with a humidifier, to help keep your throat moist and lubricated.
Medication
Sometimes, more than rest and hydration might be needed to get relief from a sore throat. Pain-relieving medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen have been shown to be effective at relieving pain while reducing any associated fever. While they won’t cure your sore throat, they can help reduce the discomfort.
You can also use over-the-counter medications to soothe a sore throat. Throat lozenges and menthol sprays contain menthol, which is believed to help alleviate pain by numbing the nerves. Saltwater gargles and cough drops can help reduce inflammation, while cough syrups containing dextromethorphan can reduce a cough.
Home Remedies
If you are looking for more natural ways to relieve a sore throat, you can turn to herbal teas made from ingredients like ginger, turmeric, licorice, and cinnamon. These teas have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce pain and help prevent infection. It’s important to note that licorice root can increase blood pressure, so if you have any heart-related illnesses, talk to your doctor before trying this remedy.
Honey is another popular home remedy to treat a sore throat. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends mixing two teaspoons with 8 ounces of warm water and drinking the mixture three times daily for best results. Make sure that you only use pure raw honey and not a processed version.
Some other home remedies that you can use to naturally relieve a sore throat are steam inhalation and garlic. Steam inhalation involves adding essential oils to hot water and inhaling the vapor to reduce inflammation. For garlic, simply add a few cloves to your food to help reduce the infection in your throat.
Finally, always talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about sore throats, regardless of the cause. Your doctor can help you diagnose the cause and make sure that you are using the right kind of treatment to relieve your sore throat.