Sore throats is actually not a disease but a symptom that present due to the inflammation of the pharynx or the back of the throat. It is usually not a very serious condition and will often dissapear in 3 - 7 days. I have many customers who wanted treatment for sore throat everyday. So, what are the treatment that is available ?
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| Strepsils of course is not the only treatment available |
1) Lozenges
- can be used to reduce the inflammation and soothe the pain. This is by far the most popular choice.
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| Some lozenges that are available in Malaysia |
2) Pain Killers
- Usually, a pain killer like paracetamol or ibuprofen will be good enough to reduce the inflammation and to ease the pain. These drugs are also very useful if one is having fever at the same time. However, if you have gastric or allergic towards NSAIDs, Paracetamol is a better choice.
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| Some of the pain killers that are available in Malaysia |
These are some Self -care tips that can be used to reduce the pain:
- Drink lots of water
- Rest more
- Avoid food or drink that could irritate your throat
- Avoid smoking and smoky environment
- Gargle mouthwash or salt water regularly
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| Some of the mouthwashes that are available in Malaysia |
- Adults and older children can suck ice cubes or ice lollies
- Drink some honey and lemon to sooth the throat
Antibiotics are usually not recommended as most sore throats are not caused by bacteria. Even if you have bacterial infection, antibiotic is still not the first choice according to the guideline as treating minor ailments with antibiotic will cause antibiotic to be less effective in more life-threatening conditions.
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| Sore throat due to Bacterial infection - red swollen tonsils and white patches in the throat. (2) |
It is better to go to the doctor if your sore throat lasts for 3-4 weeks. This is because it might be a sign for a more serious conditions like glandular fever or cancer.
These are some articles about treatment of sore throat :
1) NHS guideline http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Sore-throat/Pages/Treatment.aspx
2) A good illustrational guide http://www.medicinenet.com/sore_throat/article.htm
