Elevating the head while sleeping may help relieve congestion. View Source that contributes to throat pain from excess mucus drainage.
Why is a sore throat worse at night? When your nose is blocked, your body finds it easier to breathe through your mouth, which can make your sore throat even worse. Your throat can become dry and may cause further irritation.
Long-standing dry mouth may lead to tooth decay and difficulty eating. In addition to dry mouth, sleeping with the mouth open has been linked to sore throats and runny noses.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious medical condition. It occurs when the soft tissues in your throat relax, which can close your airway and cause a temporarily stop to breathing (apneic episode). The result is usually an abrupt disturbance to sleep or an actual awakening, often accompanied by gasping or choking.
While people may believe leaving a window open caused their sore throat, it really depends more on the air quality, says otolaryngologist Michael Benninger, MD. “Cool air from an open window can help people breathe better, unless the air is very dry,” Dr. Benninger says.
Warm salt water and hot tea help your throat, but so do cold liquids, ice chips and popsicles. Popsicles are especially helpful for young children - the cold acts as a temporary numbing agent to ease the discomfort.
Most sore throats caused by a cold or flu-type virus go away in a week to 10 days. If your sore throat is caused by bacteria, your doctor will prescribe an antibiotic. You will feel better in a few days. It is important to take all your antibiotics.
Getting extra sleep when you're sick doesn't just give you a few hours of respite from unpleasant symptoms: Sleep is like medicine for the immune system, ultimately helping you make a full recovery from an illness. “Sleep is the only time of anyone's day or night where we have restoration processes happening.
Your pharynx is a tube in the back of your throat. It sits between your tonsils and your voice box. When bacteria or viruses get into your throat, they can cause an infection that makes your pharynx swollen, tender, and red.
Sore throat that can start very quickly and may look red. Red and swollen tonsils. White patches or streaks of pus on the tonsils. Tiny, red spots on the roof of the mouth, called petechiae.
Alcohol and caffeinated drinks like coffee are diuretics, which means that alcohol makes you pee more and can make your body more dehydrated. This is something you want to avoid when sick, so skip these drinks when you have a sore throat.
Drinking very cold ice water or sucking on something cold may seem counterintuitive, but cold can numb the throat. But don't choose cold orange juice or other acid-based liquids; they will only intensify the pain.
Some people swear by a folksy remedy of Coca-Cola as a sore throat healer. Others combine it with lemon and ginger for a sore throat. Still many say drinking soda while sick isn't a good idea because it can dehydrate at a time when more fluids are best.
If your sore throat is caused by a contagious condition, you are sick enough to stay home. However, if your sore throat has been caused by dry air, allergies, overuse of you voice, acid reflux, etc., you are not contagious, and it is safe for you to go to work.
Cold air holds less moisture than warm air. Dry nostrils are more prone to viruses, and if you're already sick, dry air can worsen a sore throat. Try using a humidifier. If you don't have one, leave a shallow bowl of water out, particularly near a heat source.
Drink water, tea (herbal or decaf), broth, soup, and non-caffeinated sports drinks e.g. Gatorade. Hot tea with lemon and honey can help. Gargle with warm salt-water. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of regular table salt in 8 ounces (240 ml) of warm water, gargle for a few seconds, spit it out, then repeat a few times.
A pharmacist can help with sore throats
You can ask a pharmacist about ways of relieving the pain and discomfort of a sore throat, such as: paracetamol or ibuprofen. medicated lozenges containing a local anaesthetic, antiseptic, or anti-inflammatory medicine.
Vicks VapoRub is good for relieving minor throat irritation and cough. It is also used to treat minor muscle and joint pain and a number of other conditions such as toenail fungus and dry skin.