Ouch! I have a sore throat.

bigpanda

So I managed to pick up a sore throat when I went back to visit my parents. Not sure if it's allergy related (they have 4 cats and smoke) or if it's from a cold/flu (don't have any other symptoms) that they had but it hurts like hell.

It feels like I've swallowed broken glass. I can see my tonsils (I think, the little punching bag thing in your throat) and it's all red and swollen. This has happened in the past but usually doesn't last this long. It's really irritating right now since I don't want to call off sick for just a sore throat (which wouldn't make my throat feel any better) since I just got back from taking 4 days off for vacation. It's not a constant pain either, it comes and goes in waves in varying levels of severity. Anyone have any remedies for this other than using Cepacol which tastes like leather to me?

Thanks in advance,

BP

P.S. I'm a sad panda right now.

Sir Carcass

Gargle salt water.

Chloroseptic.

Thanatos

Yeah, gargling saltwater helps, as does apple cider vinegar.

For the saltwater method, you're going to want one teaspoon of salt dissolved in an eight-ounce glass of lukewarm water. You can do that pretty much as often as you want, and it helps a lot.

bigpanda

What about the Apple Cider Vinegar? I actually have a bottle in my fridge.

Any special instructions or just gargle it straight? Should I warm it up?

VisionOfClarity

I hate gargling salt water. It makes me gag. The last time my throat was really swollen and sore I gargled twice throughout the day and it cleared up by the end of the day. It was great.

Belruel

sip warm water with some honey in it, or else some tea

Mad Jazz

the punching bag in the back of your throat is the uvula. The tonsils are farther down on either side.

As for making yourself feel better, gargle salt water, drink hot tea with a little lemon and lots of honey. If you pick up a fever, go get yourself a strep test.

fightinfilipino

not to plug a specific store, but Tealuxe has this great tea called "Throat Tender" that amazingly soothes sore throats and helps with other typical cold symptoms.

otherwise, gargling the warm saline mix is a good idea. boil the water first, let it cool down (obviously), then mix the amount of salt in that people said above.

also, make sure you don't brush your teeth or drink anything else for a little while after you gargle. you have to let the salt do its work and all.

AlyceInWonderland

Get some GrapeFruit Seed extract. Works WONDERS. Put about 10 drops in to some soda or something really sweet, cause it's bitter as heck, and in about 2 hours your sore throat will be all gone.

Kakodaimonos

bigpanda wrote: »

So I managed to pick up a sore throat when I went back to visit my parents. Not sure if it's allergy related (they have 4 cats and smoke) or if it's from a cold/flu (don't have any other symptoms) that they had but it hurts like hell.

It feels like I've swallowed broken glass. I can see my tonsils (I think, the little punching bag thing in your throat) and it's all red and swollen. This has happened in the past but usually doesn't last this long. It's really irritating right now since I don't want to call off sick for just a sore throat (which wouldn't make my throat feel any better) since I just got back from taking 4 days off for vacation. It's not a constant pain either, it comes and goes in waves in varying levels of severity. Anyone have any remedies for this other than using Cepacol which tastes like leather to me?

Thanks in advance,

BP

P.S. I'm a sad panda right now.

Sounds like tonsillitis. Salt water and hot tea can help and aspirin or tylenol can help with the pain. If it doesn't get better in 5 days or so, you should probably go see a doctor and get a strep test done. If you have a high fever (101+) and swollen lymph nodes, it's probably strep.

MichaelLC

Mad Jazz wrote: »

the punching bag in the back of your throat is the uvula. The tonsils are farther down on either side.

Thanks, King's Quest IV: Peril's of Rosella!

Warm salt water is good. If it's still bad a couple days later now, you proably want to get it checked out.