1. Quit Smoking
In order to control your chronic sore throat pain, you'll have to identify and eliminate its cause. If you're a smoker, it's very likely that smoke inhalation is triggering your continual discomfort. Talk to your doctor about quitting smoking. There are resources available to you that can help you quit and stick to it.
2. Moderate Your Alcohol Intake
Your doctor will probably also tell you that the heavy, continued use of alcohol will contribute to sore throat pain. Drinking a lot of alcohol strips away protective layers that line your throat, making your esophagus more susceptible to irritants. Put down the bottle for a few weeks to see if this soothes your symptoms. If you're a heavy drinker, you'll probably find that they'll start to get better in a hurry.
3. Treat Infectious Causes
Some continuous sore throat pain is caused by chronic respiratory tract infections, which you'll need to have checked by a doctor. These infections may be viral or bacterial in nature. If the cause is viral, you may be limited to home-care treatment techniques while you wait for the virus to run its natural course. Bacterial causes of sore throat can be eliminated with antibiotic treatments. However, doctors are becoming increasingly reluctant to prescribe antibiotics because of the evolution of resistant bacterial strains.
4. Consider Environmental Factors
To soothe chronic sore throat pain, consider any other environmental factors that could be causing the irritation. Are you exposed to high levels of smoke or noxious vapors while on the job? Do you live in an area with a high concentration of air pollution? If so, you might be able to help your sore throat pain by addressing these factors.
5. Home Care for Chronic Sore Throat Pain
While you will only be able to eliminate your pain once you identify and act against its cause, there are a number of home-care options you can use to control your symptoms. You can gargle with warm water that has salt or baking soda added to it, or take over-the-counter painkillers to reduce the irritation. (Young children, however, should not be given aspirin for this purpose, as there is a chance they could develop Reye's syndrome if the cause of their sore throat is viral.) Reduce your intake of acidic foods and beverages, which will irritate your throat. Instead, choose nutritious, soft-textured foods that will be easy to swallow. While it seems like common sense to suck on lozenges or use throat sprays, these products can actually do your throat more harm than good when used over the long term. Instead, pinpoint the cause of your chronic pain and eliminate it.
