posted
Gargling warm salt water is supposed to help, but I wouldn't advise drinking it. Also tea with honey, I think, and maybe lemon. Any kind of warm liquid should be soothing, but there are plenty of over the counter cold medicines that work wonders, too.
Posts: 1090 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
I do the lukewarm salty water thing. It helps because it's giving some lubrication back there and it does sort of tame the fire for a few minutes. Not sure why it works -- matching the body's salinity or just using salt to "cure" the raw sores.
Anyway, I hope you feel better soon. I usually take zinc at the first sign of cold symptoms and regularly thereafter. Helps to speed the end of the cold by a few days.
Posts: 22497 | Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
I personally can't stand drinking salt water, for some reason it always makes me gag. What I like doing is coring an apple, or an asian pear (keep the top, and don't puncture the bottom), put a few cubes of ice sugar inside, put that into a bowl, and boil it in a pot of water (water outside the bowl) for about 10-15 minutes till it's nice and soft, let it cool for a smidge before you eat it, the juice is wonderful, and its really soothing on sore throats, colds, and fevers. Satyagraha
Posts: 1986 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
You don't DRINK the saltwater (ewwwwww!) you gargle with it -- which is plenty disgusting too, but will clear out the icky layer of phlegm and mucus and other lovely stuff that tends to coat an irritated throat. Especially if you have strep, but even just a post-nasal-drip induced one, or a I-shouldn't-have-yelled-that-hard one.
I find that gargling -- with salt water as hot and as salty as I can stand (and just use a scant mouthful to gargle with, then spit, repeat as necessary) -- and then rinsing out my mouth with plain water does wonders at cleaning out all the nasty stuff. Then I lay down a coating of my own. Lots of lemon and/or orange juice, mixed with lots of honey, and heated until warm. (If it's too strong for your taste, add hot water.) For those who drink alcohol, a half-shot of rum or triple-sec helps too.
I wouldn't take a cold medicine for a sore throat (unless it's being CAUSED by a cough or drippy nose). Just plain old Tylenol or Advil should do the trick.
posted
I like that Chloroseptic spray. It seems to wash it like salt water does, and also has some anaesthetic properties, and I think it may help kill bacteria, too. I like the cherry flavor.
Warm drinks also feel good. Since I don't drink tea anymore, I've switched to "white tea" which is tea without the tea, or just boiling water. I've become a real fan of white tea in wintertime.
Hot chicken soup is also great.
Posts: 968 | Registered: Sep 2003
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I use Listerine several times a day when I feel a sore throat coming on. Depending on the degree of the sore throat, it can give you quite a "zing", (not unlike washing a wound with alcohol), but my throat feels much better afterwards.
Posts: 6394 | Registered: Dec 1999
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posted
There must be some way of working a dirty joke into this thread's theme of squirting salty liquid down a throat...
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
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The reason gargling (NOT drinking) warm salt water works is that the salty water acts as a mild antibiotic, killing off some of the nasty bacteria that is making your throat sore (kind of like gargling with listerine only less harsh).
To also help your throat heal: try not to cough or clear your throat (both do horrible things to your vocal chords) do not whisper if you have any voice at all (again, it does damage to your vocal chords) and try not to talk a lot drink warm tea with honey and lemon (honey has antibaterial properties, lemon gives you extra vitamin c)
Sore throats can be the pits. Mine that I got more than a week ago has just finally started to go away.
Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
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I was told for Strep throat, which is viral and anti-biotics do not work on, you should eat ice/icecream for the same reasons you put ice on a sprained ankle, it lowers the swelling.
In your case the anti-biotics should work well, but you have an official excuse to pig out on Ben & Jerries anyway.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Strep throat is caused by streptococcus bacteria. It responds very well to antibiotics -- unless you're lucky enough to have a resistant strain, in which case you get to try a second kind of antibiotics! Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I also grew an inch long after they swore I should have stopped growing. I mean in my 30s! I attribute it to my being a different species than most people, a super neotenous species, which is why I still get zits in my 40s and like to stay up til 4 am for no reason on weekends and so on. Woo, I hope I reach 6 feet someday too! Posts: 968 | Registered: Sep 2003
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Strep throat is caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes, which has not shown any resistance to penicillin. This is sometimes confused with Streptococcus pneumoniae, which has developed significant antibiotic resistance.
However, Strep pneumo does not cause strep throat, so penicillin always works (so far).
It is indeed important to treat strep throat with antibiotics, because there can be rare but highly toxic complications of the kidneys or heart valves.
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Raia, I got cured of strep pretty easily. I had my tonsils removed when I was 5. Never had it since. On a more serious note, are you making sure to rinse your toothbrush in Listerine or replace it after getting better? Sometimes the bacteria can live on it and reinfect you.
Posts: 2283 | Registered: Dec 2003
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Strep throat is caused by ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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Is this all the time, or just when you're sick? Because of the nature of asthma, I have to clear my throat a lot... Is that bad for my voice? ![[Angst]](graemlins/angst.gif)
