Proper management of a scratchy sore throat

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A scratchy sore throat can cause a lot of pain and discomfort for many individuals. The condition is often present in conditions such as allergies, common cold and flu. Luckily, a scratchy sore throat is usually temporary and improves in 3-5 days even without any treatment. In the meantime, there are various treatment measures that can provide relief even if only temporary. In case the sore throat persists for more than 7 days, a doctor must be consulted for proper assessment and treatment of the condition. You can enroll in a first aid course today so that you can learn measures to provide relief to a sore throat.

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Salt water gargle

The individual with a scratchy sore throat should gargle on a warm salt water solution to help soothe the mucous membranes and relieve the inflammation. When a doctor is consulted, it is usually advised to combine one half teaspoon of salt with a glass of warm water and gargle every 3-4 hours.

Medications

In most cases, the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic for sore throat caused by a bacterial infection such as strep throat. The medications help speed up the recovery but will not quickly ease any discomfort. The ideal way to ease the pain is to provide the individual with over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

Sore throat
In most cases, the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic for sore throat caused by a bacterial infection such as strep throat.

Lozenges

The individual can suck on medicated lozenges to provide relief to a sore throat. Many lozenges that are available in the market include numbing medications that offer momentary relief. In case there are no lozenges on hand, the individual can suck on a piece of hard candy as an alternative. Even though hard candy does not provide any medicinal relief, the saliva produced helps cleanse the throat.

Warm liquids

Chicken soup and warm tea are included in the usual homeopathic care for sore throat. When warm liquids are used, they help ease a scratchy sore throat by increasing the circulation to the irritated and inflamed tissues. Adding lemon and honey to warm tea or water will provide more additional benefits. The honey works by coating and soothing the lining of the throat while the citric acid in lemon breaks up the excess mucus.

Humidity

Using a vaporizer is recommended to relieve the pain of a sore throat. The steam produced by a warm shower will help keep the mucous membranes moist and helps break up the nasal congestion as well as soothe the sore muscles due to flu or common cold.

Avoidance of further irritation

It is important to prevent further damage to an already irritated throat to hasten the healing process. Resting the voice will help minimize the vibration of the vocal cords that can be considered as an irritant to the sore mucous membranes. The individual must avoid cigarette smoke and certain substances such as paints which produce fumes that can cause irritation.

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