Are you finding it difficult to savour your favourite food? Is the pain in your throat making it uncomfortable to swallow? Well, you probably have a sore throat that needs immediate attention. Sore throats are a common ailment that can be caused by factors like viral infections and environmental irritants.
In this article, we are going to discuss what sore throat is, its causes, and the remedies you can try to cure it. Let’s begin!
What is Sore Throat?
A sore throat refers to a scratchy and painful feeling at the back of your throat. It can worsen when you try to talk or swallow something, resulting in extreme discomfort. Typically, sore throat is divided into three types:
- Pharyngitis: Pharyngitis or acute Pharyngitis is an inflammation or infection in the back of the throat, the pharynx area, particularly the lymphoid tissue.
- Tonsillitis: It’s the swelling or redness of the tonsils, two oval-shaped pads present at the back of your throat.
- Laryngitis: Laryngitis is another type of sore throat and is the infection or inflammation in the larynx or, you can say, the voice box, which makes it difficult for you to speak.
Symptoms of Sore Throat
Now that you are aware of what a sore throat is let’s look at its symptoms:
- Fever
- Headache
- Upset stomach
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Cough
- Body aches
- Hoarse voice
- Swollen glands in the neck
- Nasal congestion
What Causes Sore Throat
It’s important to know the causes of sore throat. These are given as:
- Bacterial Infections: Bacteria like the Streptococcus bacteria cause strep throat, which is the swelling of the throat or tonsillitis resulting in soreness.
- Allergies: Many people are allergic to dust, pollens, mold, and mites. When their immune system reacts with these allergens, it releases chemicals that cause sore throat, nasal congestion, sneezing, and watery eyes.
- Smoking: Any type of smoke, including tobacco, has chemicals that irritate the lining of your throat, causing sore throat.
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: GRED is another cause of sore throat. In this, the stomach acid backs up to the oesophagus, which is the tube carrying food from mouth to stomach. This acid can inflame the lining of the oesophagus and throat, known as heartburn.
How to Cure Sore Throat?
If you are wondering “how can I cure sore throat,” we have found some home remedies that you can try:
- Salt Water: Warm one cup of water, add ½ teaspoon of salt in it, and gargle with it; you’ll definitely see relief in soreness.
- Warm Liquids: Try some other warm liquids like hot tea, chocolate milk, broth, and warm water with honey. You can also rely on herbal teas to get rid of sore throat.
- Humidifier: Turn on a humidifier to increase moisture content in your room’s environment, as this helps with a sore throat caused by dry air.
Alternatively, Sato Pharmaceutical’s cough and cold remedies, such as the Sato Throat Troche, are specially formulated to help alleviate cough and cold symptoms, relief throat swelling and soreness.
Conclusion
You should avoid overusing your voice box, smoke less, and drink a lot of warm drinks to prevent any discomfort in your throat. However, if the soreness is due to a bacterial infection, consult your doctor and get medications for a quick recovery.
