Got a Sore Throat?
April 14th, 2007When you have got a sore throat it is about the only thing you can think about and it seems like you are forever swallowing and everytime you do all you want is for it to feel better. A sore throat is so uncomfortable that it is one of the most common reasons why people go to a doctor. The thing is though, going to see the doctor, in most cases, is really a waste of time. However, you do not always know this till after you have seen the doctor. So in this article I will explain some of the causes of a sore throat, analyze some of the most common symptoms and suggest a number of treatments you can administer to relieve the pain of a sore throat and get back to comfortable swallowing as soon as possible.
The painful sensation you feel when swallowing is called pharyngitis. This pharyngitis is not so much a disease in itself but a symptom of another underlying illness or in many cases it is one of the first signs of a cold or of influenza which is commonly called the flu. The flu is caused by a viral infection and most viruses like these will go away by themselves in around a week. In some cases a sore throat may be caused by a bacterial infection and then your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to help cure this. However, antibiotics have no effect on a virus so usually you do not need antibiotics to get over a sore throat.
Although some of the symptoms can be the same with both a common cold and the flu, you can often tell the difference between the two since the symptoms of the flu are a bit more severe on the body. With a common cold you will most likely experience some coughing, sneezing, runny nose and a slight fever that may cause a minor headache. However, if you have influenza you will most likely feel very tired or fatigued, aching all over, especially back aches, hot and cold sweats and a more severe fever with a noticeable increase in your body temperature.
The good news is that in the majority of cases a sore throat will go away without treatment in about a week so going to the doctor will not really make a difference since a doctor cannot do anything to treat a common viral infection that causes most sore throats. How to cure a sore throat depends on how severe the symptoms are and what is causing the sore throat. A doctor will most likely advise you to increase your fluid intake and rest as much as possible. The more active you are the longer it will take your body to overcome the virus. You want to hydrate your body as much as possible, if you go into a dehydrated state, once again it will take longer to recover. Where the problem lies with hydration and a sore throat is in the fact that hydrating means swallowing and swallowing hurts. What it is best to do is to sip on warm and watery soups, the heat of the soup will lessen the pain when swallowing. Also try sucking on throat lozenges as they have the effect of helping to numb the back of the throat where you feel most of the pain. It also would not hurt to load up on some vitamin C but this tends to help more with prevention of a cold than with treatment.
In severe cases, regarding how to cure a sore throat your doctor may recommend using antibiotics but this is only when your illness is caused from a bacterial infection and not from a virus. The doctor will usually perform some tests before he decides on a course of antibiotics. The antibiotics usually work very fast in relieving the pain of a sore throat and other related symptoms when bacteria is present and you will normally notice relief within a day or two but it is important to finish the complete cycle of antibiotics prescribed by your physician to ensure the bacterial infection has completely cleared and will not return.
So in most cases as soon as you feel the slightest sensation of a sore throat, start drinking more fluid and take it easy. Avoid too much physical activity or stressful situations. It may help to shorten the length of time you suffer from a sore throat by taking in some extra vitamin C supplements of eating more fruit high in vitamin C. There really is not much you can do to completely avoid a sore throat once it has taken hold but you can minimize the suffering by trying some of the self healing ideas mentioned in this article. Just remember to rest and hydrate and you will be back to normal in the shortest time possible.
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