The scratchy and irritating feeling in your throat called sore throat can result from infections, allergies and environmental irritants. Viruses cause most sore throats. These viral infections usually resolve on their own without any treatment, according to experts at Mayo Clinic. The associated pain and discomfort can be treated in a number of ways.
Home Remedies
Home remedies will usually suffice for a viral sore throat. Warm salt-water gargles will reduce the swelling and discomfort. To make a salt-water solution, mix half a teaspoon of salt with a glass of warm water. Adequate bed rest and plenty of fluids like soups, juices, water and herbal teas will help soothe the throat. Honey or lemon tea is a good remedy, as recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Extra sleep will help in a speedy recovery, especially with viral infections.
Sucking lozenges reduces the dryness by increasing saliva production. Alternatively, a hard candy can be sucked to decrease the pain.
Humidifiers should be used, especially when your sore throat is due to mouth breathing. Adding moisture to the air will prevent the mucous membranes of your throat from drying out.
Painkillers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen will help relieve the pain.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics will help when a sore throat that is caused by a bacterial infection. One type of bacterial infection called strep throat will result in severe pain, high fever, redness in the throat, white patches on the tonsils and enlarged neck glands. If you are diagnosed with strep throat, your doctor will give you an antibiotic like penicillin for 10 days. Those allergic to penicillin are given erythromycin or other broad-spectrum antibiotics. Antibiotics will decrease the severity of the symptoms. It is important to complete the course of antibiotic even if you are feeling better, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. Doing so is necessary to eliminate the infection and to prevent bacteria from becoming resistant to the drug.
If your symptoms do not improve in 3 to 4 days, you should see your doctor as you might require further medical attention.
Other measures
If an allergy to pollen, mold or pet dander is causing a chronic sore throat, your doctor will advise antihistamine drugs, which will reduce the allergy symptoms.
Tobacco smoke can irritate the throat. If you smoke, you should quit. If you do not smoke, try to avoid second-hand smoke.
Reflux laryngitis occurs due to back flow of stomach acid in the throat. If this is resulting in sore throat, you should avoid eating spicy food. There should be a gap of 2 hours between dinner and going to sleep.
