Sore Throat
Sore throat is pain in the throat area, including the pharynx. The sore throat is often caused by inflammation of the throat due to infections caused by viruses and bacteria. Depending on the severity of the ailment, the patient may experience pain ranging from mild to extremely painful.
There are many different ways to treat sore throat, depending on the underlying cause. If the sore throat is caused by viruses, it will just resolve by itself without any medications. Still, home care will be necessary to provide relief to the pain felt by the patient.
If the sore throat is caused by bacteria, it will not resolve without any medications. Thus, antibiotics are often administered. Still, there are also home remedies that can be provided to strengthen the patient’s immune system as well as work against the invading bacteria.
Risk Factors
There are some people who are more prone to experiencing sore throat than others. Some of these risk factors are:
- Staying in closed quarters, including offices, classrooms, and military institutions
- Compromised immunity because of ailments like diabetes, HIV, and fatigue
- Exposure to certain chemicals
- Allergies
- Age, with young children being more susceptible
- Smoking
Diet for Sore Throat
When a patient has sore throat, he or she will need to avoid some of the things that will either cause it or aggravate it in terms of diet or food intake.
The patient will also need to eat healthy, healing foods to help speed up the healing process of the sore throat. Here are some suggestions:
- One of the herbal remedies that can be eaten with meals when an individual has sore throat is an onion soaked in honey for an hour. Chop up an onion and soak this in a covered bowl with some honey. Eat this together with the meal or by itself to help with healing of the sore throat.
- Since it would be somewhat difficult and painful to eat with a sore throat, try to avoid dry and hard foods for a while. Opt for soft foods like porridge, oatmeal, and soaked cereals that will be easier to swallow.
- For the patient’s vegetable and fruit intake, take soft fruits or better yet, take these in juice or pureed form. Puree some vegetables and fruits for a healthy drink that can also help expedite the healing process.
- Avoid liquor and other alcoholic drinks since these will only aggravate the sore throat. Too sweet and too cold drinks will also aggravate sore throats so try to avoid these too.
