Sore Throat Hacks You Should Know

Having sores and wounds in your mouth down to your throat can be a very discomforting experience. If you have, at one time, been in such a situation, you would understand perfectly well what I am talking about. It places you in a situation whereby you would not be able to eat anything without wincing in severe pains because chewing and swallowing at that point would become a herculean task. Also, at this point, you begin to eat ridiculous meals that are soft and easy to pass through your throat, foods that you do not need to chew; all you need to do is suck it all the way to your stomach, delicious or not. All that matters to you at that point is, you do not want to die of hunger, and at the same time, you do not want to anger the sores in your mouth and throat. Sore throat comes with an incredibly damning headache, chest and neck pain. It makes your breath feel dry, it makes your day dull, and makes you sluggish and sick all day. Having a sore throat with sore all over your inner mouth can be synonymous with you relaxing on a time bomb waiting to explode.

In order to prevent and treat sore throat whenever you feel the symptoms, you need to read this article to the end because reading it would give you insights into how you can get rid of the discomfort that comes with a sore throat. In this article, you would also discover different natural home remedies that are very effective in treating sore throat. To start with, have you ever wondered what the causes of sore throat are? Imagine you just waking up one morning and begin to feel sick, and eventually, you find out that sore throat is the one behind this funny feeling. Did you ask yourself how it came to be? Or maybe you just concluded that it is due to what you ate the previous night, or it just came by chance. If you seek answers to the causes of sore throat and its treatment processes, you have come to the right place.

Causes

Sore throat is majorly caused by viral and bacterial infections. These viral and bacterial illnesses include;

• Flu
• Common cold
• Measles
• A bacterial infection like streptococcus

Other causes include;

• Allergies to pet furs, dust, and pollen. These factors inflame and irritate the throat, thereby causing a sore throat.
• Dry air is another cause of sore throat, as it makes your throat rough, dry, and scratchy.
• Breathing through the mouth due to congestion in your nose can also cause dry throat, which can lead to the introduction of sores in your throat.
• Air pollution such as tobacco smoke, smoke from vehicles, chemicals, and so on can lead to a sore throat.
• Aside from the smoke from tobacco, chewing tobacco and excess alcohol can irritate your throat.
• Spicy foods can also lead to the irritation of your throat. Hot and peppery foods can injure the walls of your throat, thereby causing painful sores.
• Screaming and shouting loudly can stress your throat muscles for an extended time, making you suffer from sore throat. This means, if you have been a regular screamer and street fighter where you shout your lungs out to prove your point, then you would be a frequent victim of sore throat as straining your throats muscles while shouting can cause sores in your throat.
• Digestion problems, where the acids in your stomach come back up into your food pipe, you begin to feel sore throat symptoms.
• A sore throat can also be a real sign of HIV infection.
• Cough is also a significant cause of a sore throat.
• Intentional or unintentional swallowing of harsh chemicals can introduce sores in your throat.
• Pieces of foods like bones, when stuck to the throat, can cause sore throat.

Symptoms

How do you know when you have sores in your throat? The following are the signs to look out for when you examine yourself whenever you notice any funny feelings in your throat.

• Dryness and scratchiness in the throat
• Difficulty in swallowing anything, including something as little and mild as your saliva
• Excruciating pains in the throat region
• Swell in your neck or jaw
• White patches along your throat
• Hoarse voice
• Other symptoms include;
• Fever
• Sneezing
• Aches; headache, earache, and body aches
• Runny nose
• Nausea
• Chills
• Weakness

Risk Factors

• Age; children and young adults are likely to suffer more from sore throat
• Tobacco smoke; both those who smoke it and those who do not, but are exposed to the smoke from tobacco are liable to suffer from sore throat
• Allergies and irritation
• Chemicals and air particles and pollutants
• Weak immunity
• People who are closely associated with these risk factors might not escape constant sore throat.

Home Remedies

• Apple cider vinegar: Gargle one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. You can mix with water, half a teaspoon of salt, or one teaspoon of honey.
• Garlic: Chew and suck in on a clove of garlic for about 10 minutes. You can also blend the garlic and drink the juice.
• Essential oils like peppermint oil can also help treat sore throat. Drink peppermint tea, or rub the oil on your chest. It relieves dry cough and dry throat.
• The record holds that eating frozen foods helps alleviate sore throat symptoms, as the cold temperature and soft nature of these foods can help make swallowing easier.
• Honey: Add hot water to honey or lemon juice and drink the mixture, as this would help reduce the pain that comes with a sore throat.
• Saltwater: Add one teaspoon of salt into warm water and gargle, make sure you do not swallow this solution and make sure not to add too much salt to the water as this could further aggravate the sores in your throat. Gargle 2-3 times per day for one week.
• Though this home remedy can sting and can be very painful, cayenne pepper has been very effective in treating sore throat. Mix one teaspoon of cayenne pepper in water and gargle. It would help reduce the irritation and inflammation in your throat.
• Drinking warm beverages or liquids can also help relieve symptoms of sore throat.
• Drinking water and plenty of fluid are also effective in the treatment of sore throat.
• Warm compress on the neck.
• Avoid smokes and quit smoking.
• Over the counter drugs like aspirin can also treat sore throat. Dissolve two tablets of aspirin in warm water and gargle for about 5 minutes. Make sure you do not swallow it. Spit it out as soon as you are done.

When to See a Doctor

If, after applying these home remedies as a solution to your sore throat, and you do not experience any changes or relief, you need to visit the hospital in order to prevent it from worsening. Also, if the symptoms persist after the home remedies, go to the Doctor for a test, as the sore throat could be a symptom of a more significant illness like HIV. Visit the hospital when;

• You begin to find it difficult to breathe
• You notice weird and constant drooling in the case of a child
• You experience difficulty in swallowing
• You feel joint pain
• You notice rashes
• You notice a lump in your throat region
• Symptoms last for over two weeks
• You notice blood traces in your saliva
• When you begin to notice any of these severe symptoms, visit the hospital to avoid complications.

Prevention

• Observe personal hygiene
• Avoid getting close to people who have respiratory infections like cough
• Stop sharing personal utensils like spoons and forks
• Use your handkerchief when coughing or sneezing
• Avoid infected surfaces
• Quit smoking
• Chew foods properly before swallowing, especially bones
• Quit screaming and yelling

As little as a sore throat seems, it can cause severe discomfort, which is capable of ruining your day. Sore throat, which is caused by many bacterial and viral infections, can also be a symptom of more prominent illnesses like HIV, hence the need to visit the hospital when symptoms of the sore throat become too challenging to get rid of. Following the preventive measure, natural home remedies of its treatment, as well as the processes of application and dosage, would keep sore throat miles away from your dwelling.