What medicine to take for sore throat?

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Pharyngitis is a very common disease. Although most cases are caused by viruses, sore throats can also be caused by smoking, allergies, air irritants such as pollution, air conditioning or excessive shouting, or by bacteria. . Knowing these causes, each person can prescribe their own safe sore throat medicine.

1. How to treat a sore throat caused by a bacterial infection?

1.1. Viral Sore Throat A sore throat caused by a viral infection usually lasts 5 to 7 days and does not require any specific medical treatment and may go away on its own.
To relieve pain and reduce fever, people with sore throats and sore throats take acetaminophen or other mild pain relievers to improve symptoms. However, caution should be exercised when giving over-the-counter pain relievers to young children, whether formulated for infants or children, such as both acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Remember to never give aspirin to children or teenagers because of its association with Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition that causes swelling of the liver and brain.
1.2. Bacterial pharyngitis If your sore throat is caused by a bacterial infection, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics. At this time, the patient needs to take the full dose of antibiotics as prescribed even if the symptoms have disappeared.
Failure to take the full regimen of medication as directed can make the infection worse or spread to other parts of the body. On the other hand, not completing a full course of antibiotics to treat strep throat can increase your child's risk of developing severe rheumatic fever or kidney inflammation.

2. Supportive sore throat treatments at home

Regardless of the cause of a sore throat, the following sore throat home remedies can help alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms caused by a sore throat:
Rest. Taking time to rest, combined with a healthy diet menu, will help the immune system fight off infections. At the same time, it is advisable to rest both on the voice. Drink lots of water. The liquid will help keep the throat moist and prevent dehydration. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can increase dehydration. Eat pleasant foods and drinks. Drinking warm water, decaffeinated tea or warm water with honey or even cold items such as ice can help soothe a sore throat. Gargle with salt water. Gargling with salt water prepared with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of table salt in 120 to 240 ml of warm water can help soothe a sore throat. Children over 6 years old and adults can gargle the solution and then spit it out. Humidify the air. Use a cool-air humidifier to remove dry air that can further irritate sore throats. Make sure to clean the humidifier regularly to prevent mold or bacteria growth. An alternative is to sit for a few minutes in a hot bath. Use lozenges. This simple remedy can relieve a sore throat, but should not be given to children 4 years of age or younger because of the risk of suffocation from a foreign body. Avoid irritants. Keep your home free of cigarette smoke and cleaning products that can irritate your throat.

3. Notes in the treatment of sore throat

Although some home remedies are also needed to soothe a sore throat, evidence for effectiveness is limited. If antibiotics are needed to treat a bacterial infection instead, don't rely solely on supportive treatments. Instead, the regimen should be followed for the full day and at the right dose so that the infection can be effectively controlled.
In addition, there are a number of herbs that have also been observed to be able to improve the uncomfortable symptoms caused by sore throats. However, check with your doctor before using any herbal remedies, as they can interact with prescription medications and may not be safe for children, pregnant women, and children. breastfeeding as well as those with certain health conditions.

Herbal products or herbal extracts that have been tried and tested for sore throats are often packaged as teas, sprays or lozenges, popularly including slippery elm, licorice root, and hollyhock root. kneel. In addition, honey and herbal teas contain antioxidants that are also beneficial for strengthening the body's immune system.

In summary, because most sore throats are viral in origin, the above-mentioned symptom relief measures are effective. However, it is always best to prevent infection by washing hands frequently, not sharing utensils, eating lots of vegetables and fruits, drinking enough water, limiting alcohol, not smoking and not shouting for a voice. be always fine.

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References: healthline.com, cdc.gov, mayoclinic.org, drugs.com