How to Treat Sore Throat

Posted on October 22nd, 2009 by aileen

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Sore throat, which is also known as pharyngitis can signal an underlying condition that needs to be treated. Here are some tips on how to treat sore throat.

Causes:

Viruses that cause common cold, flu and mononucleosis can also cause sore throat.
Viral illnesses like measles and chicken pox
Bacterial infections
Taking antibiotics may lead to sore throat.
Allergens
Muscle strain
Acid reflux

Symptoms:

The main symptoms of sore throat are the following:
- Dry and inflamed throat
- Dysphagia and odenophagia, or painful and difficulty swallowing.
You may experience other symptoms depending on the underlying illness that you have. These symptoms may be any of the following.
- White patches on your throat or tonsils, which may indicate infection.
- Vomiting
- Skin rash
- Fever

Diagnosis:

Assessment. Your doctor may conduct look into your throat and check for inflammation, pus and redness.
Throat culture may also be done to determine the cause of your sore throat.

Medications:

Depending on the underlying cause, your doctor may prescribed you with antibacterial or antiviral drugs. You may also be required to take other drugs that will help relieve other symptoms, such as pain and fever.

Home Care:

Unless there are complications, a sore throat may heal on it’s own. You can do any of the following tips to help soothe your sore throat.

Drink plenty of fluids. Water, juices and soups help replace the fluid you lose when you have fever. Don’t take beverages that may cause dehydration like coffee and alcoholic drinks.
Gargling with salt water will clear out the mucus and soothe your throat.Add half a teaspoon of salt in a cup full of water. Mix well. Use warm water for a more soothing effect.
Lemon juice helps clear the mucus. You may also add honey into your drink to soothe your swollen throat.
Lozenges help reduce pain.
Avoid irritants like smoke.
Humidifying air can help you sleep better and lessen irritations.
Over the counter pain reliever. You may also take medications to get rid of the pain, but be very careful when doing so as pain medications have side effects. Acetaminophen, for example, can relieve fever and pain, but can damage your liver.

If your sore throat doesn’t get better after about a week or two of home management, you might want to consult your doctor to get tested for other conditions and have proper treatments.