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BY JESSICA SEGOVIA-YAP, MD
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SORE throat is very common come -ber months. A lot of patients come in for consultation because of this. But for starters there are home remedies that one can do to soothe one’s throat.
So what is sore throat?
A sore throat is your immune response to a viral (which is more common, thus antibiotics are not ordinarily prescribed) or bacterial infections. This natural response leads to inflammation and swelling of the mucous membranes in the throat. It can be a sign of a cold, a side effect of strained vocal cords (when you overuse or improperly use your voice) or an indication of something more serious like Strep throat (bacteria).
But whatever the cause, one’s immediate concern is fast relief of the pain, scratchy discomfort or painful swallowing. However, when these home remedies fail, or when there are concomitant systemic manifestations like high grade fever or chills, or when there is abscess or exudate (whitish plaques found in the tonsils and mucous membranes), it is an indication for a visit to your doctor.
So what can you do first:
- Anti-inflammatories.These are over the counter pain and anti inflammatory medicines commonly found in your medicine cabinet. It helps with the pain and the swelling and gives immediate relief. It can also relieve your fever.
- Gargle.The most readily available is saltwater gargle. You just have to mix half a teaspoon salt with a cup of warm water. You may add a small amount of honey if it is too salty for your taste. Gargling several times a day can reduce swelling and loosen mucus, thereby flushing out irritants and bacteria.
- Lozenges and sprays.If the taste of saltwater gargle is not to your liking, there are available over the counter gargles, throat sprays and lozenges that are more pleasant tasting. But make sure that these, especially the lozenges have a cooling or numbing ingredient, otherwise it has no added benefit compared to mentholated hard candies. Aside from flushing out irritants, these stimulate saliva production keeping your throat moist. Sprays also reach further down your throat compared to gargles.
- Cough syrups.When you feel that you are developing phlegm even though you are not coughing yet, over the counter cough medications may help. During daytime, be sure to take the non drowsy formula. But when you need to rest it out, or the pain won’t let you sleep, nighttime formulas are also available.
- Fluids. Staying hydrated is very important. And we all know that water is the best and most readily available. Fluids moisten your mucous membranes and helps fight bacteria and allergens. How much you need is all up to you. But it should be enough to make your urine light yellow or clear.
- Tea.If you are already tired of drinking water, a warm cup of herbal tea could have soothing relief on your sore throat. Also, tea contains anti oxidants that strengthen your immune system and help prevent infection.
- Chicken soup.This is an age-old home remedy for colds and sore throat. The sodium in the soup may have anti inflammatory properties and since your intake may be poor due to the pain, sipping down the soup could provide nourishment boost. Chicken soup may not be popular with us Pinoys, one alternative for us which is cheaper and more available is noodle soup.
- Marshmallows.This is something new to me as well. But would you believe that marshmallows could help? There is no study that proves this yet but the sap of the marshmallow plant has long been used to treat colds, cough and sore throat. Our modern day marshmallow on the other hand exerts its soothing properties through its gel which coats our throat thereby soothing it.
- Rest. Well, do I need to emphasize the importance of rest? It may not be the quickest solution but getting some rest could be the best thing to fight off infection.
- Antibiotics. As I mentioned earlier, not all sore throats are caused by bacteria. But once bacterial infection has been documented, your doctor will then prescribe you with an appropriate antibiotic which you need to take. Just a reminder, for the antibiotic to be fully effective you need to take the complete course as instructed by your doctor.
I hope these tips are helpful. You might need to try one of these in the near future. But then again, staying healthy is still your best armor since your immune system is working full time to make sure that you don’t get sick easily.
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Jessica P. Segovia-Yap, M.D., FPAFP is a Diplomate and Fellow of the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians. She is a practicing Family Medicine Specialist and holds clinic at the Medical Arts Building of Iloilo Mission Hospital. For comments, questions and suggestions, you may email at drjec.is.in@ gmail.com./PN
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