Sore throat is a very common condition that you usually experience during seasonal changes. It is a generic term. It can be caused by viral or bacterial infection, and sometimes it can be the result of tonsillitis. Preventive tips depend on the condition of your throat.
If you have a sore throat because of a viral infection, you will likely be able to treat it with home remedies. However, bacterial throat infection or tonsillitis needs the attention of a doctor. If you have a sore throat, you will have symptoms like pain, difficulty in swallowing, redness, cough, running nose, and croaky voice.
Strep throat is usually because the bacterial infection causes swollen tonsils and lymph nodes, fever, cough and sometimes nose blocking. Strep bacteria do not cause tonsillitis. Symptoms include pain while swallowing, high fever, swollen lymph nodes, and hoarse voice. You will notice either a yellow or a white coating on your tonsils.
There can be several causes of sore throat, and not all conditions can be treated with home remedies. It is essential to note that your doctor can best understand the underlying condition after identifying your symptoms and then recommend a particular medication to treat it.
Tips to prevent sore throat
Here are some tips to prevent sore throat.
- Be careful
First off, you need to be careful of the way you live or your routine habits during the seasonal change. In autumn, pollution level goes up, so make sure that you do not step out in the early mornings and late evenings.
If you are habitual of morning walks, you should prefer indoor walk when severe air quality. Hazardous air can affect the throat and lungs of those who have weak immunity.
Try to put on a mask when you are out, so you do not catch the virus. Most of the reasons for catching a sore throat are that you are exposed to pollution, dust, and pollens.
- Gargle with salt water
Gargling is the best home remedy for treating a sore throat. When you have itching or difficulty in swallowing, you should gargle to get relief.
One of the significant advantages of gargling is that salt pulls the mucus out of your swollen and inflamed tissues.
This will help provide you with discomfort. You should take a glass of warm water and put a pint of salt in it. You should not put more than half a teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of water.
Gargle with this water when the salt is completely dissolved. Turmeric is also an anti-bacterial spice. You can put a pint of turmeric as well. Repeat this process three times a day.
- Stay hydrated
A sore throat can take a bit long time to heal because sometimes it gets worse due to dehydration. Infection can flare up and cause pus on your tonsils, causing severe infection and soon the bacteria infection starts going down to your windpipe, resulting in whooping cough. You may not feel like drinking water because it hurts, but hydration is very important to heal your throat.
When you have a sore throat, your body cannot produce enough saliva and mucus to provide your throat with a lubrication layer. If you do not drink a lot of water to keep your throat hydrated, your condition will become worse.
It is essential to drink enough water to reduce swelling and inflammation. Do not drink too cold water. It can make it worse. Try to drink regular water. Warm fluids like tea or coffee can help you a lot to get relief from discomfort.
- Avoid smoking and alcohol
Stay away from smoking and alcohol unless your throat becomes normal. Smoking or being in a smoky area can worsen your throat condition. No home remedy will help your throat to improve. Alcohol may not be a good choice at this time because it can flare up the damaged tissues.
Since alcohol is acidic in nature, it can irritate tissues further, causing pus, cough, severe swelling and pain. It can cause acidity, and if you have heartburn, it can creep up back to your throat through the oesophageal sphincter. It can cause bacterial infection, and eventually, you will have symptoms of strep throat.
- Use a humidifier
Your throat condition can become worse when your air is dry. Breathing in moist air helps soothe the swollen throat. When the air is extremely dry, the mucus your body produces around your nose and throat gets dry. Dryness often flares up redness and inflammation.
This is why it is recommended to sleep in a humid room. Turn on the humidifier so you can sleep in a moist room. This will help you breathe more easily. You can buy humidifiers from online stores as well to save some money on them. If you do not have enough money, you can take out loans for bad credit in Ireland.
- Talk to your doctor
Home remedies are not a permanent solution to heal a sore throat. It is not surprising at all that you do not get any improvement in your throat condition by changing your lifestyle habits.
If you do not see any improvement in your condition in two to three days or feel that your throat is becoming worse with each passing day, you should immediately consult your doctor.
They can prescribe you some medication to heal it. You can also prefer over the counter drugs, but if you do not see any better results, it is always advisable that you should consult your doctor. If you do not have enough money to consult your doctor, you can take out cash loans in Ireland.
The bottom line
Sore throat is a common condition that you can quickly treat with home remedies. However, not always it can be treated with them.
Instead of popping in over the counter tablets and home remedies, you should consult a doctor if you are experiencing no results with home remedies.
Timely consultation is always recommended if you do not want to worsen it.
Description: If you want to prevent sore throat, you should be careful of your lifestyle, stop smoking and drinking alcohol, use a humidifier, and consult a doctor.