Table of contents:
- How to treat sore throat
- 1. Gargle with salt water
- 2. Drink lots of fluids
- 3. Get plenty of rest
- 4. Take a warm shower
- 5. Increase humidity in the room
- 6. Avoiding acidic and spicy foods
- 7. Stop smoking
- 8. Take drug pharmacies
- Overcoming sore throat due to inflammation in children
Your throat hurts because of inflammation? Inflammation of the throat can be uncomfortable. You can have difficulty swallowing and speaking at the same time. However, generally the symptoms of sore throat are acute or temporary and can even subside within a few days. In order to recover faster, you can try ways to treat sore throat with or without using medical drugs such as the following.
How to treat sore throat
Sore throat is the main symptom of sore throat (pharyngitis). This throat disorder is most often caused by viral and bacterial infections. Some examples are flu, colds, measles, and smallpox strep throat.
However, sore throats can also be caused by various other diseases and conditions such as:
- Allergy
- Raised stomach acid into the esophagus (GERD)
- Injury to the throat
- Smoking habit
- Irritation from exposure to pollutants or chemicals
The symptoms of a sore throat caused by a bacterial infection are usually more severe and last longer than those caused by a viral infection. In inflammation due to viral infection, the sore throat may subside within a few days, it is also known as acute pharyngitis.
To treat sore throats caused by acute pharyngitis, you can do self-care methods at home, including by taking drug pharmacies. In the following ways, usually the pain in the throat will heal faster than allowing the symptoms to subside on their own.
1. Gargle with salt water
Gargling with salt water can help reduce sore throat. Salt water kills the bacteria around the throat, which can relieve inflammation.
For those of you who also experience phlegm cough symptoms, gargling with salt water can also help thin clotted phlegm.
To try this method of dealing with sore throat, prepare 1 teaspoon (5 g) of salt. Then, dissolve it in 1 cup (240 ml) of warm water. Gargle while looking up for 30 seconds, then discard the water. Try not to swallow it. Do this at least 2-3 times a day to soothe a sore throat.
2. Drink lots of fluids
When you have strep throat, you need to increase your body fluid intake to prevent dehydration. Especially if you also experience symptoms of coughing and sneezing continuously, the risk of becoming dehydrated will be higher. Dehydration alone can make inflammation worse.
According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, drinking lots of fluids can help relieve irritation and relieve swelling caused by strep throat.
During illness, drink plenty of water and other sources of fluids that are nutritious for the body such as warm broth, unsweetened fruit juice, or warm honey tea.
The warm liquid can keep the mucous membrane walls in your throat moist. Therefore, this method can gradually relieve the irritation caused by strep throat.
3. Get plenty of rest
Rest is probably the best way you can treat the infectious disease that causes sore throat. Getting enough rest can help boost your immunity so you can heal faster.
If your sore throat is accompanied by hoarseness, you can also try to rest your vocal cords by not talking too much.
4. Take a warm shower
Inhaling moist air can treat sore throat due to inflammation or acute pharyngitis. This method can help relieve swelling in the throat as well as treat other symptoms such as a stuffy nose.
Replace the cold water you normally use in your shower with warm water. If possible, you can also soak in warm water for a few minutes. However, make sure not to take a shower with warm water for too long.
Apart from that, you can also inhale warm water vapor to soothe your throat. The trick is to pour warm water into a large bowl. Then, try to inhale slowly.
To keep warm steam from escaping from the bowl, hang a towel over your head. Take a few deep breaths for a few minutes, then repeat for a few moments to relieve the pain in the throat.
5. Increase humidity in the room
A sore throat can be made worse by dry air. The reason is, dry air can easily irritate the throat and other airways.
Therefore, try to keep the room humidity, especially at night by using a humidifier. This tool not only keeps the room humidity optimally, but can also clean the air from dirty particles and irritants that are at risk of causing irritation in the airways.
In trying to treat this sore throat, try to adjust the temperature of the air conditioner so that it is not too cold and dry.
6. Avoiding acidic and spicy foods
As explained that a sore throat can also be caused by increased stomach acid. To overcome the cause of this sore throat you need to lower stomach acid levels.
The way you can do this is to avoid consuming various types of foods that can trigger stomach acid to rise again, such as sour and spicy foods.
It should be noted that in order to speed up recovery, you still need to consume lots of nutritious foods. Food options for laryngitis are foods that are soft and more liquid, such as soup, porridge, and steamed rice, so they can be swallowed easily.
7. Stop smoking
Sore throat can be a disorder that is often experienced by active smokers. This is due to cigarette smoke which can irritate and injure the throat and other respiratory organs around it.
In a sore throat caused by a viral or bacterial infection, smoking can exacerbate the inflammation it causes.
To treat sore throat caused by smoking, you certainly need to stop smoking or avoid using tobacco products or e-cigarettes.
8. Take drug pharmacies
If the above treatments haven't succeeded in getting rid of a sore throat due to inflammation, you can take medication that can be obtained at a pharmacy without a doctor's prescription. Several types of drugs for sore throats include:
- Lozenges, can be in the form of drugs or hard candy such as lozenges.
- Decongestants or steroid nasal sprays. This medication can also help relieve symptoms of a stuffy, runny nose and sneezing.
- Pain relievers such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or paracetamol, which can also treat symptoms of fever and swelling.
- Antacids or H2 blockers to treat sore throat caused by increased stomach acid.
- Antihistamine drugs to relieve sore throat symptoms caused by allergies.
However, it is important for you to pay close attention to the rules for using these drugs in taking them. First, read how to use it on the drug packaging label, then follow the instructions for use.
If your sore throat is caused by a bacterial infection, you will need to get antibiotics for strep throat through a doctor's prescription. Antibiotics cannot treat strep throat caused by a viral infection.
Overcoming sore throat due to inflammation in children
It is important to know that not all ways to treat sore throat independently can be done in children. Some sore throat medications may not be safe for use by children or people with certain health problems.
Aspirin is at risk of causing Reye's Syndrome or honey which can trigger botulism in children under 1 year of age. Likewise with lozenges which should not be consumed by children who cannot swallow hard and rough textured foods.
If the sore throat symptoms that you or your child are experiencing do not go away after doing the above treatments, consult a doctor immediately. Medical treatment can be more effective at treating sore throat that is long-term or chronic.
