How To Manage A Sore Throat

Things to think about to get the relief you need

A sore throat can be a real pain in the neck (pun intended). It can interfere with your ability to swallow comfortably, talk, even disrupt your sleep and your ability to concentrate.

Because most sore throats are caused by viruses, in many cases antibiotics won’t work. Managing the symptoms you experience is the recommended approach and there are a range of options available.

When looking for relief of a sore throat, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• How bad does it hurt? (e.g. is it just scratchy or more painful)?
• Do you want to numb the pain, reduce the inflammation, soothe your throat or all three?
• Would you rather swallow a pill or use something directly on your throat like a lozenge or spray or even a gargle?
• How fast do you want relief?
• How long do you need the relief to last?
• What are the potential side effects and will it interfere with any other medications you take?

Managing a sore throat without medication

A simple thing you can do to make swallowing food and liquids easier when you have a sore throat is to adjust their temperature and texture.

• Try frozen foods (like ice cream) for their temporary numbing effect on the throat.
• Fluids warmed above room temperature (like soup) can also make it easier to swallow.
• Choose softer foods and soothing foods that coat the throat (like honey or foods containing pectin or glycerin) rather than spicy or hard foods.

You might also consider changing your environment to minimise throat irritation. Even spending a few moments in the bathroom with a warm shower running several times a day may be of help – all that steamy goodness. Avoid exposure to smoke and other airborne irritants (including pollens and dust) that can make a sore throat worse.

Medications to help relieve a sore throat

When it comes to medications you can purchase in the pharmacy, there are two main approaches:

1. Tablets, capsules and liquids

When it comes to a sore throat, these medications mainly contain pain relievers (also called analgesics) like paracetamol, anti-inflammatories and aspirin. They are absorbed into your bloodstream before they can start working. Which is why they can take a few hours to take full effect to relieve your throat pain, though they might work for a few hours at a time.

2. Lozenges, sprays or beverages that coat the throat

Lozenges are flavoured, medicated oral dose forms that you suck like a lolly, which then releases the medicine into your throat. As they slowly dissolve, they can continually release the active ingredients directly to the affected area. Plus, as they don’t have to be swallowed and absorbed through the blood stream to take effect they often start working quickly.

Sprays are designed for you to deliver a soft mist that coats the back of your throat with medicine. They make it easier to apply medicine a little deeper down your throat.

Some of the ways the medicines in sore throat lozenges and sprays work include:

• Antibacterial action to help kill bacteria that can cause throat and mouth infections.
• Anaesthetic to numb the pain of a sore throat.
• Anti-inflammatory action to relieve inflammation, a known cause of sore throat pain.

Depending on how bad your throat hurts, you can find options that do one, two or all three of these things.

How to avoid getting a sore throat

If the cause of a sore throat is a common cold virus, maintaining appropriate hand hygiene and observing physical distancing are important to minimise the spread from person to person. Aside from preventing the spread of the viruses, supporting your immune system by maintaining a balanced diet that includes sources of zinc or by supplementing it with probiotics may also be helpful for preventing colds and the sore throat that comes with them.

Manage that sore throat like a boss

A sore throat can mess with your ability to speak, swallow, sleep or even concentrate. Luckily relief is never far away, with medicated and non-medicated options you can try. Simple things like eating cold foods (ice cream for example) or drinking warm fluids (cup of tea anyone?) can make swallowing easier, while treating yourself to an at-home steam room by running a warm shower can help you feel better. If you need something stronger than ice cream consider the wide range of lozenges, throat sprays, mouth rinses and gargles available – try to find one that has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and/or anaesthetic actions to soothe the pain and discomfort of a sore throat. Better yet, look for the Difflam Plus range which includes all three!

Frequently asked questions about relieving a sore throat