What are my options for relieving a sore throat?
There are a range of options for you to relieve a sore throat. Topical therapies such as lozenges, sprays and gargles work directly on the area they are applied to.
Let’s start with lozenges. They work by slowly releasing their active ingredients as they dissolve in your mouth. Benefits of a lozenge include rapid relief, no need to swallow anything and you can get them easily from most pharmacies and grocery stores.
Lozenges might be a good idea if it’s painful to swallow, or if you’re taking other medications.
If you don’t like the idea of sucking on a lozenge then perhaps a throat spray is what you need. You can spray them directly onto the back of your throat where the pain is for fast, soothing relief. Just a few sprays and you’re done!
Have you ever experienced the joy of gargling? Perhaps as a kid in the playground with water or perhaps your parents made you gargle when you had a sore throat? It can be a good idea, as gargling can help reduce the discomfort of a sore throat. Look for throat gargles that contain antibacterial, anaesthetic or anti-inflammatory ingredients (or ideally a combination).
What should I look out for?
So far, we have used the terms anti-this and anti-that, but what do they mean and how do they apply to sore throat relief?
If something is antibacterial it means that it works to destroy or stop the growth or reproduction of bacteria. In the case of sore throat, bacteria are not often the cause, but your mouth and throat are host to a whole world of bacteria, most of whom play a helpful role.
However, ‘bad’ bacteria getting in and setting up shop, or helpful bacteria being thrown off balance can lead to infections that may cause a sore throat. So having an antibacterial agent included in a product for soothing sore throats can help kill the bacteria that causes throat and mouth infections.
An anaesthetic is an agent that causes a loss of sensation, awareness or numbness. They can either apply to the whole body, rendering you unconscious (a general anaesthetic) or only to a specific section (a local anaesthetic). For sore throat relief we are talking about a local anaesthetic.
Because they can numb a small area when applied directly to it, they are good ingredients to include in things like throat lozenges, gargles or sprays as they can be applied directly to the site of pain.
An anti-inflammatory does what it says on the label – preventing or reducing inflammation. It might sound odd to include an anti-inflammatory in a sore throat product but most of the discomfort you feel from a sore throat is actually caused by your body’s response to the infection.
Your immune system creates inflammation at the site of the infection to help kill the virus, sadly it’s this response that is most likely the cause of the pain and discomfort you feel. What is a bit unusual is that a lot of sore throat solutions don’t include an anti-inflammatory!
Frequently asked questions about treating and relieving sore throats
Q. How do I use a lozenge for my sore throat?
A. Lozenges should be placed in the mouth and sucked or left to dissolve on their own – don’t chew or crunch them up as they are designed to slowly release their active ingredients.
Q. How do I use a throat spray for my sore throat?
A. Throat sprays are designed to be applied directly to the site of pain or inflammation.
Q. How do I gargle?
A. Gargling means holding liquid in your mouth, tiling back your head and exhaling so the liquid bubbles, then spitting out the liquid.
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