1. About Sore Throat
The throat runs from the back of the mouth to the top of the respiratory and digestive tracts and has three main parts - the tonsils, pharynx and larynx. You could think of it as the main highway for air, dust and food but with a filter lane for any bacteria, viruses and other irritants that may have got on the road. The throat is designed to capture all of these irritants and filter them out before they can cause further havoc. This process can result in an inflamed throat or throat infection.
Sore throats are common, especially in children and teenagers, largely because young people have not built up their immunity (resistance) against many of the viruses and bacteria that can cause sore throats.
2. Causes of a sore throat
A sore throat is often a sign that you may have an infection in the area, but there are other things that can irritate the throat, causing redness and swelling. These include cigarette smoke, a polluted environment, voice strain or even changes in air temperature.
There are lots of sore throat symptoms, and throat infection symptoms, from that nasty raspiness, pain when swallowing to a sudden husky voice. There are also other symptoms that may accompany throat pain, such as:
- a runny nose
- swollen glands
- a headache
- muscle aches & pains a cough.
The good news is there are lots of sore throat remedies out there. There are medications that can help soothe the pain. Look up Strepsils product range to find some suitable remedies for sore throat.
3. Avoiding a sore throat
Of course the best thing you can do is to avoid infecting or irritating the throat in the first place. But with our hectic lifestyles who can lock themselves away every time they hear a sore throat is doing the rounds?
To give yourself the best fighting chance of avoiding a sore throat, try these top tips:
- Avoid close contact with others who are suffering with a sore throat.
- Avoid irritants that can cause swelling. Think cigarette smoke, pollution, shouting or even changes in air condition (air con is not that 'cool' when it comes to throats...).
- Breathe through your nose. Your nose is an excellent filter of bacteria and other harmful irritants and helps warm the air too.
- Eat right - vital vitamins found in fruit and vegetables will help support your immune system.
- Swallow - regularly. Our natural saliva helps 'wash out' the throat.
- Drink plenty – a regular swig of water will help alleviate a dry throat.