 | Cleaning Your Ears Alleviates Sore Throat
  Learn whether or not the trick of cleaning your ears alleviates sore throat or not. We think that this is only a reaction to a sore throat and not a relief of symptoms. Ordinary analgesics such as aspirin have no effect on the sore throat that sometimes accompanies a cold—it may indeed be an inflammation of the mucous membrane in the throat caused by viral infection. A host of manufacturers claim to treat it successfully with over-the-counter remedies such as lozenges, mouthwashes and gargles. Some of them ease soreness, dryness or pain. But none of them cure the cause of the irritation. Many are ineffective and some add an irritant effect of their own.
One of the most common medications intended for sore throat is benzocaine, an anesthetic similar to the novocaine used by dentists. Like novocaine, it temporarily deadens the nerve endings that produce the sensations of pain. But according to the American Pharmaceutical Association, benzocaine must be present in concentrations of 5 to 20 per cent to give any prolonged benefit, and no over-the-counter product contains this concentration; several, however, contain enough to cause stomach upset or vomiting in some people.
Phenol and sodium phenolate, two other common sore- throat remedies, deaden nerves, though very briefly, and may kill bacteria as well. But bacteria killers are useless in fighting viruses, and because phenol and sodium phenolate are often present in medicinal mouthwashes that contain alcohol or some other drying agent, their over-the-counter forms may actually contribute to the dryness that makes a sore throat feel so wretched.
The American Pharmaceutical Association, which has an interest in promoting over-the-counter sore-throat treatments, recently added another count to the indictment against these substances. In a handbook for the profession, the association reminded its members that any change in the bacteria normally present in the body could have adverse effects: ‘‘It is possible that alteration of the normal oral cavity flora actually may allow invasion by pathogenic organisms,” leading to other infections.
What, then, should you do for a sore throat? First, be sure that the cause of the soreness is indeed a cold. A wide variety of irritants and ailments other than viruses can be at fault, from heavy cigarette smoking, spicy foods and air pollution to infection by streptococcal bacteria—strep throat—tonsillitis and even throat cancer. One test is duration. A sore throat caused by a constant irritant such as smoking or air pollution will cure itself in a few days if the irritant is removed; a condition, even a mild one, that lasts more than two weeks is almost certaf5’ due to more than a cold. Another test is severity and associated symptoms. | Most Popular Common Cold And Flu ArticlesHow Does The Common Cold Affect Your Body Palpitations And Need To Cough Cough With Frothy White Sputum Types Of Rheumatic Heart Fever Pain Constant Low Grade Fever Nutritional Requirements Needed To Treat Fever Flu Symptoms With Neck And Back Pain And Muscle Aches Who Discovered Influenza Is Canada Ready For A Pandemic Influenza | |
| The pain of strep throat, for example, can be severe, and is accompanied by swollen glands and white or yellowish pus spots at the back of the throat. If at any time while you have a sore throat your temperature rises sharply, or if you develop a rash (a symptom of both infectious mononucleosis and scarlet fever), or see spots at the back of your throat or have any other symptoms not readily attributable to a cold, consult your doctor.
If what you have is a sore throat associated with the runny nose, stuffiness, coughing and sneezing of a true cold, then lozenges, troches and gargles may offer some relief. The medicated candies have something of an edge. Gargles— whether medicated or simply the old home remedy of warm salt water—reach only a small portion of the throat, near its entrance; when you gargle, your throat automatically constricts, preventing the liquid medication from coming into contact with the lower throat tissue.
Lozenges and troches are the same—cough drops with a little anesthetic added—except for their shapes, which give them their names. Lozenges are angular—the word “lozenge” is an old term for a “diamond shape.” Troches are disks and derive their name from a Greek word meaning “wheel.” When either type is left to dissolve at the back of the mouth, a certain amount of the soothing material will drip down into the throat. The trouble is that, even in this form, the amount has little therapeutic value.
More effective than any attempt to cure a sore throat are steps to prevent further irritation of the membranes. If you are a smoker, stop smoking. To rest your throat, talk as little as possible. Eat bland foods and drink comfortably hot liquids such as broth and tea. Raise the room’s humidity to 50 per cent or more with a vaporizer. Despite many people still believe that cleaning your ears alleviates sore throat problems. | Twitter About The Common Cold Cure  | | Common Cold Tip Of The Day The decline in the number of colds is not steady; a dramatic reduction in an individual’s susceptibility to respiratory ailments occurs during the first 20 years of life. An average infant has a sniffly existence, suffering 6.1 colds and other respiratory infections before the age of one. By the late teens, a person will encounter only 2.5 such illnesses yearly; presumably, resistance has been stiffened by the colds endured at a younger age.. |
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