Why do you keep coughing? In addition to drinking more water, there are also these solutions...

The temperature has dropped slightly recently, and many friends always feel dry and sore throats. From the end of August to October every year is the peak period of pharyngitis, so during this period, you must protect your throat.

Most cases of pharyngitis

It is a respiratory infection

Pharyngitis is a common throat disease, which refers to the inflammatory reaction that occurs in the throat mucosa and surrounding lymphatic tissue. 70% to 80% of pharyngitis is caused by viruses, and it can also be caused by bacteria or irritation from substances such as dust and smoke.

1. Viral infection

Viral infections including influenza virus, new coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, etc. can cause symptoms such as sore throat, fever, cough, nasal congestion, runny nose, etc. Since viral infections are contagious, clustered outbreaks are likely to occur.

2. Bacterial infection

A small number of sore throats are caused by bacterial infections, the most common of which are streptococcal infections, which can easily cause tonsillitis and suppuration, leading to obvious sore throat.

In addition, viruses and bacteria may cause overlapping infections, usually with viruses coming first and bacteria coming later. Some pathogens are between viruses and bacteria, such as mycoplasma infection, which can even cause mycoplasma pneumonia in severe cases.

3. Seasonal allergies

Some people develop allergies to dust, pollen, pet dander or mold in the spring or fall, with symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, itching and sometimes a sore throat.

The difference between sore throat caused by allergies can be determined by the duration of the sore throat. Compared with viral and bacterial sore throats, sore throats caused by seasonal allergies last longer and do not cause fever.

4. Air drying

The humidity and temperature of the space you are in will affect the condition of your throat. Excessively dry air will take away some of the moisture from the mucous membranes in your throat, causing dry throats and symptoms such as sore throats, redness, swelling, and dry coughs.

5. External stimulation

Air pollution, smoking, drinking, inhalation of harmful substances such as cleaning agents, excessive use of the voice, excessive consumption of irritating foods, etc. can also cause throat discomfort.

Why late summer and early autumn

“Pharyngitis” comes to your door?

In late summer and early autumn, the air is very dry, and there are many allergens such as pollen floating in the air. The blood vessels in the nose are also easily irritated, so people with a history of chronic pharyngitis and rhinitis are prone to attacks during this period.

Can pharyngitis be cured?

Nebulizer inhalation can relieve the symptoms of pharyngitis, but nebulization is not effective for all patients with chronic pharyngitis. The ingredients of nebulizer drugs in different medical institutions are also different, and may contain antibiotics, hormones, etc. Therefore, nebulizer treatment is not recommended for long-term use by patients and must follow the doctor's advice.

For pharyngitis, the most important thing is to find the cause. If the cause can be found, the treatment of pharyngitis can achieve very good results. For example, pharyngitis caused by sinusitis can be improved by treating sinusitis; pharyngitis caused by gastroesophageal reflux can also be effectively treated by taking acid-suppressing drugs.

Throat discomfort

How to relieve it?

Many people think that throat discomfort is just a minor problem, but it is not. Taking chronic pharyngitis as an example, if it is delayed for a long time, it will cause the pharyngeal glands and mucosa to atrophy, and various symptoms caused by pharyngitis will appear. It may also affect adjacent organs and tissues, leading to acute rhinitis, sinusitis, acute otitis media, etc.

Many patients with pharyngitis suffer from severe sore throats. Is there any way to relieve the pain?

1. Drink plenty of water

Organizations such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the UK National Health Service (NHS) recommend that patients with sore throats drink plenty of water, which is beneficial to recovery from the illness.

You can choose room temperature water, cold water, or warm water, just avoid overscalding.

2. Oral painkillers

Oral analgesics are very effective in relieving the pain of acute pharyngitis in adults, among which acetaminophen and ibuprofen are the most commonly used and safest analgesics.

The medication usually takes effect within 1 to 2 hours and relieves not only the sore throat symptoms but also symptoms that may accompany the sore throat, such as fever or headache.

However, there are a few things to keep in mind when taking pain medication:

Be sure to take the recommended dosage in the instructions. Even if you have multiple symptoms, do not increase the dosage on your own, especially when taking the medicine for children.

Avoid taking it with other cold medicines, especially combination cold medicines. Many combination cold medicines also contain acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and mixing them can easily lead to an overdose.

For people with renal or liver dysfunction, this product should be used under the guidance of a doctor.

3. Eat something cold

Very cold foods, such as ice cubes, frozen popsicles, ice cream, and frozen yogurt, have a numbing effect and can temporarily reduce or relieve swallowing pain.

If your throat is particularly sore, try holding an ice cube or popsicle in your mouth to make the relief last longer.

4. Try to choose warm things

Compared with irritating foods and room temperature liquids, people with sore throats are more likely to tolerate warm liquids and foods, such as warm water, tea, chicken soup, porridge, etc.

Please note that it is warm, not hot. Overly hot food or liquid may burn our throat and aggravate the pain.

5. Eat some throat-soothing foods

Honey and hard candy can also relieve sore throats to a certain extent, especially lozenges containing mint. They feel cool after eating and can make people forget the pain in their throats temporarily.

But please note that children under 6 years old should be careful when eating mints as they may have a depressant effect on the nerves.

6. Improve air humidity and avoid air pollution

Dry air and air pollution can aggravate sore throat. You can use a humidifier to improve the humidity of the environment, which can help relieve sore throat symptoms.

It should be noted that when using a humidifier, try to choose purified water or boiled and cooled water, or choose a humidifier with a sterilization function. After each use of the humidifier, clean it according to the instructions.

Also, be careful to stay away from secondhand smoke and avoid exposure to tobacco smoke to prevent smoke irritation from aggravating sore throat.