I have a really sore throat and its holidays. What should I do?

Question

Details:
Its finally holidays but now I'm stuck with a really sore throat and I can't swallow because of all the pain.
Please help.

Answer 1

The salt gargle will help. Tea with honey and lemon. A tablespoon of honey straight up will soothe the throat. Sucking on a half of lemon will shrink the tissues in the throat so it doesn't hurt so much. Throat lozenges with menthol ( if you can stand the taste ) will help in the short term. Also, give your voice a rest.

Feel better

Answer 2

Warm salt water gargles are really the best thing for a sore throat. The water doesn't have to be boiling hot, the last thing we need is boiled tonsils!! And make sure you put about 3 teaspoons of salt in a large glass of water. Most people don't put enough salt in the water (viruses can't live in a high-salt environment, so this is why it needs to be 3 tsp). Another secret to a successful gargle is to repeat it several times a day (the more the merrier). Once a day is really not enough. The salt will prevent the spread of infection, and the warmth of the water will promote blood flow in that area which will make healing faster.

Have a peek at your tonsils and the back of your throat. If it's red and "angry"-looking, the gargles should help clear it up., and keep a virus from getting to the rest of your respiratory system. If you see white streaks or spots, then this means you have a bacterial infection, and a course of appropriate anti-biotics is the best thing (prescribed by a doctor .. never self-medicate with anti-biotics, there are specific ones that work best in specific areas of infection, and some can have reactions with other meds you may be on etc. so it's worth the trouble to go see a doctor). While you're on anti-biotics, drink plenty of fluids and if you're a girl, try to eat a cup of yoghurt every day (some antibiotics also kill off certain healthy bacteria in the pelvic area which can leave you with a yeast infection), and try to have more fruits and vegetables.

If it's cold (weather) and you have your tonsils still in, keep your throat wrapped in a scarf or muffler when you're outdoors, as the chill can make them less resistant to infection. (This is also the reason why they .. whoever they is! .. say not to drink iced products).

Drinking a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice (even if it's just one orange) every morning helps PREVENT catching colds and sore throats (it also makes the skin on your face look fantastic).

Soothing drinks that are really nice for sore throats:

"sweet lime" juice (not sure if that's the name used in the USA or even if it's available there .. in India we call it "musambi", it has light greenish-yellow skin, is the size of an orange, and is yellow and sweet inside) diluted 2:1 with warm water, and a half tsp of honey.

Warm water with a squeeze of lemon or lime and a teaspoon of honey .. nice to sip especially early in the morning when you wake up and your throat feels like sandpaper.

Chamomile flower tea .. no actual tea in this, very soothing and healing (it's also great for menstrual cramps by the way) and it's nice to have at night as it helps you to sleep better.

My own invention: half a cup of milk, half a cup of water, one or two semi-crushed cloves of cardamom (or a pinch of cardamom powder), a pinch of turmeric powder. Bring to the boil, and strain into a cup with a teaspoon of honey. Very very comforting and healing. I hate milk, so the half-half dilution together with the spices makes it a really pleasant and palatable drink. This drink is actually really good if you have a cold or flu. It's best at night, in my opinion.

Wow. I've written a whole chapter here. But hope all of it is useful for you!!

Answer 3

so do I ... can't taste and am in lousy mood. anyway I have been tanking up on ginger/lemon tea and I have had warm water with mint leaves ... next I plan to sit in a hot shower (yup in summers) ... the steam will help. my nose is running which is way worse than any other symptom of a common cold.

Answer 4

My late grandmother used to say to gargle with salt water, and try taking some vitamin C.

Answer 5

Gargle some warm salt water.

Answer 6

Join the club. Had it almost 2 weeks. Nothing helped but sitting it out. It was really bad this time even had blisters on my tongue.

Good luck.

Answer 7

Gargle with salt water, and try taking an antihistine. You probably have post-nasal-drip.

Answer 8

DRINK SOME TEA WITH SOME HONEY AND LEMON IN IT. IF IT DOESN'T GET BETTER IN A COUPLE DAYS, AND YOU HAVE NO OTHER SYMPTOMS, SEE A DOCTOR, IT MAYBE STREP THROAT!

GOOD LUCK

Answer 9

drink some tea with a drop of sugar and honey in it. yum yum.

Answer 10

if salt water doesn't work, try listenine