Symptoms and diagnosis of sore throat
Doctors distinguish three types of the disease in question:
- catarrhal;
- follicular;
- lacunar.
Each of them has common symptoms:
- high temperature that occurs rapidly;
- severe malaise - drowsiness, weakness;
- irritating cough;
- pain when trying to swallow even your own saliva;
- increased sweating.
The first symptoms may include an unpleasant sensation in the ear (especially during swallowing), enlargement of the peripharyngeal lymph nodes, pain in muscle tissue, and “aches” in the joints.
Diagnostic measures are not complicated - even the patient himself can determine a sore throat at home. Firstly, there is severe pain in the throat when swallowing. Secondly, you can use your fingers to identify significantly enlarged and painful tonsils. Thirdly, in front of a mirror with your mouth open, you can see redness of the throat (hyperemia).
With a more thorough examination in a medical institution, the type of sore throat will be determined - follicular will be characterized by festering follicles, “scattered” across the tonsils and palate, but with lacunar, doctors will see only a loose coating.
Find out how to take Azithromycin correctly for a sore throat here.
If a sore throat begins with a sudden increase in temperature to critical levels, the patient clearly experiences symptoms of intoxication of the body (nausea and vomiting, dizziness), then you should urgently seek advice from a doctor. In this case, self-administration of medications or the use of traditional medicine methods is inappropriate.
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What solutions are used at home?
Various emollient and antimicrobial agents are used against oral infections:
- Rinsing and gargling with baking soda is the most commonly used home remedy for treating sore throat at home. A simple remedy is prepared from chilled boiled water. Add 1 tsp per 200 ml. sodium bicarbonate powder.
- It is useful to rinse your mouth with green tea, but not tea bags. To increase efficiency, add 1 tsp. baking soda.
- Potassium permanganate is used as an antiseptic. Important! A solution is prepared from several crystals in warm water. Be sure to wait for complete dissolution. Otherwise, it is easy to get a burn to the oral cavity. The finished solution is brought to a pale pink color. Rinsing is done twice throughout the day. Due to the fact that potassium permanganate dries out the mucous membranes, half an hour after the procedure it is recommended to lubricate the tonsils with olive oil.
- A saline solution is also used for gargling. A simple recipe is prepared from 1 tsp. table salt in a glass of boiling water, and is used warm. Gargling with salt for a sore throat removes purulent plaque from the tonsils, destroying many bacteria. Let us remember that salt somewhat irritates the membrane of the tonsils. Therefore, rinsing is done 1-2 times a day.
- Gargling with soda and salt is used against sore throat. The procedure removes purulent plugs and softens the mucous membranes. Gargle with soda and salt during a sore throat in a ratio of 1 tsp. for 200 ml of warm or heated water.
Attention! The procedure is recommended for purulent inflammation to remove plaque. For catarrhal sore throat, the solution is not used. In addition, when gargling with soda and salt for a sore throat, the proportions must be strictly observed. For sensitive people, the amount of food per glass of water is reduced by 2 times.
A soda solution for gargling for sore throat is used 6-8 times throughout the day. For those for whom these solutions cause discomfort, it is better to use mild herbal preparations - homemade infusions of chamomile, calendula, and sage.
When used regularly, eucalyptus also effectively relieves inflammation. Instead of brewing herbs, pharmacy disposable bags are suitable. Gargling with soda and salt for sore throat is limited to 2 times a day due to the irritating effect of salt.
Gargling for sore throat
The appearance of the above symptoms is a reason to consult a doctor. But even at home, you can quickly get rid of both swelling of the tonsils and painful sensations. The most effective way is considered a folk remedy for sore throat - rinsing. Even ordinary warm water will help cleanse plaque, “wash away” pathogenic bacteria and bring relief to the patient, relieving irritation of the pharyngeal mucosa. Such procedures are approved by both official medicine and traditional healers, but you need to know both the recipes for rinsing solutions and the rules for its implementation. Read about the treatment of sore throat with folk remedies in adults here.
You can prepare a decoction of medicinal herbs (sage/chamomile/thyme), you can use medications to obtain the solution. But the simplest and most effective recipe is rinsing with a solution of soda and salt. In this case, soda will have a beneficial effect on the irritated mucous membrane of the pharynx, and salt will “pull out” pathogens and relieve swelling.
Is it possible to warm your throat if you have a sore throat? It will become clear from this article.
How to gargle with a homemade solution?
Doctors say that up to 70% of all existing pathogenic bacteria are completely washed out of the sore throat when therapy begins when the first minor symptoms are detected. In most cases, the tonsils look better, pain decreases after 3-5 days. In order to get only benefits from home rinses, you need to adhere to generally accepted rules, we list them:
- each time a fresh solution is prepared for rinsing based on warm water (do not use hot water, the temperature should be comfortable);
- All ingredients should be dissolved so that no solid particles remain;
- for one rinse you need to take a volume of liquid into your mouth equal to one sip;
- at the moment of rinsing, the head is thrown back, the solution should not be swallowed, just rinse the throat and spit it out;
- if you pronounce the sound “y”, then the solution fully irrigates the entire area;
- after each procedure, you must refrain from eating and drinking for at least 20 minutes;
- Gargling with soda and salt is also useful for children; it is better to halve the proportions;
- One rinse should take about 30 seconds and should be done at least 3 times a day.
In addition to soda and salt at home, you can gargle with freshly prepared chamomile decoction, furatsilin or chlorhexidine solution.
salt and soda disinfect and cleanse, frequent rinsing helps to quickly cure a sore throat or tonsillitis, relieves a sore throat
How to rinse correctly
It is only at first glance that gargling for a sore throat is easy and simple. But if within 2-3 days the symptoms of the disease do not disappear and there is no relief, then an error was made either in the preparation of the solution or in the procedure.
Recipes, proportions, how to make and dilute the solution
There are only two recipes for preparing soda and saline solutions that will be effective in the treatment of sore throat both at the very beginning of the development of the disease (when the first symptoms appear) and with an obvious clinical picture. How to properly make a soda solution for gargling:
- Dilute 15 grams (less than a teaspoon) of baking soda in a glass (200 ml) of warm boiled water.
- Dissolve a teaspoon (15 grams) of sea salt in 200 ml (glass) of warm boiled water.
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Is treatment with solutions always possible?
Having learned about the benefits of salt and soda solutions, many strive to immediately prepare them. But is it possible to gargle with salt or sodium carbonate for everyone? If we talk about the age at which medicinal rinses can be used, then it is better not to give sodium carbonate and sodium chloride in solutions to children under 6 years of age.
Children's nasopharynx and larynx are very delicate, and under the influence of soda or salt, their mucous membrane quickly dries out. It is better to gargle a sick child with infusions of medicinal herbs (sage, chamomile).
And for children over 6 years old, when preparing a rinse, you need to dilute sodium chloride or carbonate in a glass of herbal decoction, not boiled water. The norm for children should be reduced by 2 times, i.e. instead of 1 tsp. add 0.5 tsp to the solution.
For adults and school-age children, the rinsing procedure is contraindicated only if they have contracted a purulent sore throat.
This disease cannot be cured with simple remedies; antibiotics are needed. Also, a soda solution for gargling should not be used by people who are allergic to this food product.
If you're unsure about sodium carbonate, do a simple test to see if baking soda is an allergen for you. To do this, prepare a solution with soda for gargling and apply a small amount to the elbow.
Wait half an hour, and if no changes occur to the skin (itching, redness), use the product as directed. If an allergy occurs, a recipe for rinsing without sodium carbonate - a solution of table salt - is suitable for you.
Is it possible for pregnant women to gargle with soda or sodium chloride?
Doctors recommend performing the procedure at any stage of pregnancy, since this method does not pose a danger to the expectant mother and her child.
But gargling with iodized salt after 3 months of pregnancy should be done carefully by a woman. Iodine can harm the baby's thyroid gland, which is just beginning to form at this time.
But this will only happen if the pregnant woman accidentally swallows the saline solution. If you rinse according to all the rules, the risk will be minimal.
The effectiveness of soda and salt rinses
According to statistics, 70% of bacteria are washed out of the throat if rinsing is started when the first symptoms of a sore throat appear. If you use only this method of treating the inflammatory process in the pharynx and tonsils, then recovery occurs in a maximum of 5 days, often the period is reduced to 3 days.
You can learn about the symptoms and treatment of phlegmonous sore throat in this article.
In no case should treatment be carried out exclusively by rinsing if the patient has signs of intoxication - the doctor must prescribe antibacterial drugs (antibiotics) and antiviral agents, and carry out symptomatic therapy.
Soda and salt are non-allergenic products, so absolutely everyone can use them to treat a sore throat. The effect of rinsing will not take long to appear - the mucous membrane is cleared of plaque, swelling is removed, microtraumas of the pharynx are healed, and the person stops getting sick.
Solution for children: pros and cons
Many doctors recommend using the traditional method of treatment with soda, salt and iodine for children over two years old. But if the child does not yet know how to spit out toothpaste after brushing his teeth, it is better not to experiment. It is more realistic to teach a child to gargle after three years. At this age, he already understands what they want from him, and most importantly, how it needs to be done.
The mixture tastes unpleasant, so it will not be easy to persuade your child to gargle 3-4 times a day. Parents whose children are prone to allergic reactions should refrain from adding iodine to the solution. The substance can cause edema, tumors and other negative consequences.
The proportions for preparing the mixture for children differ from the proportions for adults. It is necessary to use half a teaspoon of soda and salt for one glass of boiled warm water. If you add iodine, then no more than 2 drops. If desired, a decoction of chamomile, calendula, or other medicinal herbs is added to the solution.
Before using any essence from folk recipes, be sure to consult your doctor.
How to prepare saline solution
Clearing the tonsils of accumulated pus or fungal plaque is an important part of treatment. The more effective the procedure is, the faster the unpleasant symptoms will disappear.
Many people know how to gargle with salt. Preparing a medicinal solution is not difficult. The main thing is to have all the necessary ingredients on hand. Sea, iodized or table salt is suitable for rinsing your mouth.
To make liquid, you should follow some recommendations:
- Take a mug of boiled water. Cools to a temperature of 36-37 degrees.
- Add half a teaspoon of table or iodized salt. If you have a marine type of product on hand, you can add a full spoon.
- The liquid is thoroughly stirred until the white crystals are completely dissolved.
- If you gargle with soda or salt, the proportions should be strictly observed. So for a mug of water there is half a teaspoon of both components. For greater effectiveness, add 2-3 drops of iodine.
If you follow these tips, you will be able to create a solution of the desired concentration. Not only adults, but also children need to know how to gargle with sea salt. In the first days of an acute illness, the procedure is carried out every 1-2 hours. As soon as the symptoms of tonsillitis decrease, you can reduce manipulations to 4-6 times a day. Gargle with sea salt for 7-10 days.
Saline solution.
The effectiveness of gargling with soda, salt, iodine
The main components for gargling when sick are salt, soda and iodine.
Agree, everyone has such a set at home, and does not require significant costs in comparison with medicinal rinsing preparations.
This combination has a complex effect on the throat and the immune system as a whole:
- Baking soda helps relieve inflammation and swelling of the larynx. It also has a healing effect on microcracks that form as a result of pathogenic microflora of the larynx.
- Salt cleanses the mucous membrane, kills bacteria and “pulls out” the pustules that form on the tonsils during tonsillitis.
- Iodine increases the body's protective functions, nourishes tissues at the cellular level with missing elements, disinfects and accelerates the restoration of soft tissues.
In order for iodine to help and not harm, it is important to maintain proportions. You can’t have more than three drops per glass of water.
Otherwise, you can get the opposite effect - a burn to the mucous membrane, which will lead to pain, irritation and swelling.
It also causes poisoning, which in appearance resembles an allergy.
There is redness of the skin, itching, and watery eyes. If these symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor and say that you gargled and overdid it with iodine.
In order for rinsing to give results the first time, you must not only observe the proportions of the components of the solution, but also carry out the rinsing procedure correctly.
It is important not just to gargle, but to ensure that the composition penetrates deep into the mucous membrane of the larynx.
To do this, you need to take a sip of water, tilt your head back and pronounce the letter “s”.
Thus, the product will penetrate directly into the source of inflammation and disease development.
With this sound, the root of the tongue drops slightly and does not block the space near the tonsils.
Tip: in addition to gargling, you can draw an iodine grid on your throat.
You just need to do an allergy test first. To do this, apply a little iodine to the inner thigh or under the knee.
If there is no redness and it disappears within 24 hours, then everything is fine.
Draw a net with a stick on the front of the neck in the throat area.
Through the pores of the skin, the element will penetrate into the inflammatory focus and immediately begin to act.