With the onset of winter, colds become more active, so many are faced with the fact that the throat began to hurt. What to do, far from many know. But it is very important to first establish the cause of the pain. Along with pain, a sore throat, severe weakness, suppuration of the oral mucosa are observed. Many diseases cause hoarseness and discomfort when swallowing.
Why are there prolonged sore throats?
Before you understand what to do if your throat begins to hurt, you need to determine the cause that caused the discomfort. Prolonged pain when swallowing can occur for various reasons, which include:
- diphtheria;
- tonsillitis;
- paratonsillar abscess;
- Infectious mononucleosis;
- pharyngitis.
Diphtheria affects the respiratory system and its first manifestation is due to sore throat. Initially, it is weak, but may increase during the day. With the development of diphtheria, inpatient treatment is required. Paratonsillar abscess is characterized by fever, as well as severe sore throat. If you do not consult a doctor in a timely manner, serious complications can occur.
Tonsillitis occurs when viruses, bacteria and fungi of the tonsils and pharynx are affected. Incorrect treatment may require surgery. Pharyngitis most often occurs in children, and the inflammatory process affects the mucous pharynx and vocal cords. If you start to have a sore throat, what to do is important to determine very quickly, since there is a high risk of complications.
Why are there frequent sore throats?
Chronic sore throats can be very dangerous. In this case, it is almost impossible to determine the cause of discomfort on your own. Be sure to consult a therapist, ENT, or infectious disease specialist. Infection mainly occurs by airborne droplets.
If there is a prolonged feeling of discomfort, and all studies indicate the absence of infection, then it is worth taking an allergy test. Such factors can provoke an allergy:
All these factors provoke a runny nose, sore throat, and cough. When the throat begins to hurt, what to do can only be determined by a qualified doctor after conducting a series of studies. The most dangerous is a laryngeal tumor. As a result of this, discomfort has been observed for a long time. In addition, the causes of pain can be:
- stress
- excessive alcohol consumption;
- smoking;
- weakened immune system.
A timely detected tumor must be removed and contributes to a faster recovery of the patient.
When to see a doctor
When the throat started to hurt, what to do, how to treat? This will help determine the attending doctor who will choose the methodology for the treatment. If the first signs of the disease occur, you should immediately consult a doctor, but not all adhere to these recommendations. To prevent the occurrence of dangerous complications, you should definitely visit a doctor if:
- after 5 days of self-treatment, the pain does not decrease;
- over time, the pain becomes stronger;
- a rash has formed on the skin;
- hoarseness and voice disappeared;
- breathe heavily;
- severe inflammation of the lymph nodes;
- dehydration is observed.
The doctor will conduct a comprehensive study that will help determine the root cause of the discomfort. Pregnant women and children should see a doctor for the slightest sore throat, as this can be very dangerous.
What to do with a sore throat
Many complain that the throat suddenly started to hurt. What to do at the first signs of the disease is of great interest to many, since not everyone wants to see a doctor. It is recommended to start with a special diet. You need to eat in small portions, and it is desirable that the food is thoroughly chopped or liquid.
When the inflammatory process proceeds, you need to drink as many fluids as possible, since they wash out the pathogens. The fluid intake must be warm. With inflammation of the mucosa, you can not consume food and drinks that irritate the mucosa. In addition, you need to take special medications and use traditional methods of treatment.
What is forbidden to do
Be sure to know if your throat started to hurt, what to do, and what absolutely can not be done. In the presence of discomfort, it is forbidden to consume alcoholic beverages, as they can provoke swelling or burns of the mucous membrane, which will only exacerbate the problem.
With the course of purulent tonsillitis and the presence of elevated temperature, you can not put a vodka compress, consume hot drinks and food.
Treatment of sore throat in children
When a child begins to have a sore throat, what to do can be determined by a qualified pediatrician. Be sure to gargle with decoctions of herbs that should be warm. Gargle every 1-1.5 hours.
Starting from the age of 3, various solutions prepared on the basis of salt and soda can be used. For greater effectiveness, you can add a few drops of iodine. A very good result can be obtained by inhalation. It is best to breathe over steam of boiled potatoes.
If the child begins to have a sore throat, what should I do if the baby cannot rinse it, and what methods of treatment exist? Of the proven folk remedies, one can distinguish a wrapping of the throat with a warm cabbage leaf, applying a compress made on the basis of fat cottage cheese, as well as alcohol rubbing. You can try to treat the throat by using special lozenges with extracts of medicinal plants. In addition, aerosols with antibacterial and antiseptic effects can be used.
Adult Sore Throat Treatment
Many are concerned about the question of what to do - the throat started to hurt. Treatment must necessarily be competent, clearly thought out and comprehensive, as this will achieve the best result. For the treatment of adults, you can use absolutely any topical preparation. For example, such as:
- Septolete;
- “Falimint”;
- "Cameton";
- Strepsils
- "Grammicidin."
It is worth remembering that the action of all these drugs occurs quite superficially, and also the effect of them can be short-lived.
Treatment of sore throat during pregnancy
When the throat begins to hurt during pregnancy, only the attending doctor can recommend what to do. In no case should you self-medicate, as this can provoke a sharp deterioration in well-being. Use "Ingalipt" and "Hexoral" during the period of bearing a child is possible only with the appointment of a doctor.
If you feel discomfort in the throat, it is important to know what to do. A pregnant woman begins to have a sore throat for a variety of reasons, so you need to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis. Medications can be very harmful, so it’s better to use alternative methods. Sore throat can be eliminated by rinsing with saline with the addition of soda, as this tool helps to quickly eliminate bacteria and relieve inflammation. In addition, you can gargle with decoctions of herbs. This procedure should be carried out 4-5 times a day until the symptoms completely disappear.
The use of drugs
Many are concerned about the question of what to do - the throat started to hurt. The first signs should alert, as this may indicate a very serious disease. If discomfort and perspiration is observed, then medications can be used.
The preparations made in the form of lozenges, in particular, such as Hexoral, Grammidin, Strepsils, help well. They contain essential oils that have a softening, local anesthetic effect. They help to actively fight inflammation.
Aerosols and inhalers with analgesic and antiseptic effects can be used. They help to eliminate acute pain and facilitate the process of swallowing. Various means for gargling with antimicrobial, mucolytic and analgesic effects, in particular, such as Lugol, Akvalor, Laripront, help well.
Rinse
Various infectious processes and diseases have quite characteristic signs. Started sore throat. What to do? This question is of interest to many, since this seemingly harmless state can provoke more serious problems. Rinsing helps a lot, as this is the most gentle method of therapy, which is well suited for children and adults.
For rinsing, you can use warm infusions of salt, calendula, honey, eucalyptus, iodine. This procedure significantly speeds up the healing process. Among its main advantages are the following:
- quick elimination of pain;
- decreased burning sensation;
- hydration of the mucosa;
- healing and softening of wounds;
- leaching of bacteria and viruses from the surface of the tonsils.
Although rinsing is a very effective method, there are certain limitations. It is not recommended to use this method for the treatment of children under 3 years of age, as they can swallow the solution.
Very carefully you need to select herbal preparations for patients with allergies. Solutions with soda and hydrogen peroxide are contraindicated during pregnancy and with diseases of the stomach.
Compresses
If a sore throat occurs, it is recommended to make special compresses with a warming effect. To do this, moisten a bandage or gauze in a solution of alcohol or vodka and apply it to the throat. This remedy has a warming effect and promotes a speedy recovery by reducing the inflammatory process and vasodilation, especially if severe swelling is observed. After applying the alcohol compress, you need to wrap the gauze with a plastic film and a woolen scarf.
After applying, it is recommended to hold the compress for 3-4 hours, then remove it, rinse the skin, wipe it dry. You can not use this tool to treat children under 3 years old, since alcohol can provoke severe skin irritation. For the child, you need to select more gentle means, for example, from cottage cheese or potatoes.
Inhalation
With discomfort, perspiration and severe sore throat, special solutions for steam inhalation can be used. However, it is worth remembering that this method of treatment is strictly contraindicated if the patient has a fever. Inhalations have many advantages, which can include such as:
- reduction of swelling of the throat mucosa;
- increase immunity;
- creating a protective barrier against toxins;
- cleansing the bronchi.
For inhalations at home, you can use special inhalers, since they are completely safe even for small children. In addition, you can just breathe over decoctions of herbs, in particular, such as oregano, chamomile, thyme. Onion-garlic inhalations help well. To do this, you need to squeeze the juice from vegetables, dilute it with water, warm up a little and breathe over the steam.
If you experience pain in the throat, you can use a special medication that affects the area of the inflammatory process. It is recommended that inhalers be filled with special antibacterial agents, for example, such as Rotokan or Flimucin. It is forbidden to carry out inhalation if there is intolerance to the components of the solution.
Foot baths
To eliminate sore throat, foot baths can also be used. However, this procedure can only be performed if the patient has a normal temperature. This method is considered one of the simplest, as it eliminates discomfort in the initial stages of the disease.
You can add dry mustard or decoctions of medicinal herbs to the water, as they help normalize blood circulation and cleanse the respiratory system. However, you should be very careful when choosing a particular drug, since there are certain contraindications.