Advice for sore throat :(

[ClinkatyClank]

I got a painful sore throat :(

It kills when I swallow and my voice has changed (almost losing it). I occasionally cough. I am taking syrup.

Can't be bothered going to the Docs, anyone know any remedies ?

[albaqwerty]

gargle with salt water, or ask your chemist for a proprietary brand.
The gargle will be uncomfy but might just help.

[ClinkatyClank]

Should the salt water be warm or cold?

[albaqwerty]

Warm.
Boil a kettle, let the salt dissolve in a mug, add cold water if you can't wait for the boiled water to cool.
Also , stir the salt into the hot water, rather than let it sit there (d'oh alba, type better!)

[ClinkatyClank]

I'll give it a go alba.

[albaqwerty]

Hope it helps and you get better soon.

[Sqad]

Ibuprofen 400mgms three times a day.............gargling won't make much difference.

[NOX]

If you gargle with warm water with a dissolveable aspirin in it that helps tremendously.

[MrIncredible]

I always gargle with a soluble aspirin (disprin), works for me!

[Sqad]

It's the aspirin that relieves the pain.......not the gargling.....

[douglas9401]

For a bit of relief when swallowing try putting a finger gently in one or both ears. There's a reason that hospitals have Ear, Nose and Throat departments.
It works for me, honestly.

[Ann]

2 teaspoonsfuls of neat honey help with the soreness - its an old remedy. I find the solid honey is better than runny as it stays in the mouth longer and dissolves down the throat if you keep it on your tongue.

[ClinkatyClank]

Hello everyone.

I'm slowly recovering. My voice is getting back to normal and the stinging when I swallowing is getting less painful. I tried the salt water remedy this morning (thanks alb'). My ears are still kind of blocked though. My mother says that a few cups of honey in strong tea a few times a day also works, so had a mug of that too.

I didn't quite understand the "putting a finger gently in one or both ears" one ? :)

[joannie10]

for years my mum has always said about gargling with salt water and I did not agree - maybe tried it once and it did not work or something. Found myself with sore throat and little voice over the holiday period and again she told me to gargle with salt water. Did this several times throughout the day and pretty quickly found an improvement. Took a while for it to completely clear but relief was quick.

[maidmarianx]

Honestly you can't beat gargling with salt water, you notice the difference almost immediately ! Take Care x

[albaqwerty]

:p sqad :)

[douglas9401]

I hope I'm in time ClinkatyClank, it's a different finger on a different hand for each ear NOT pushing one finger all the way through! :P

As to gargling, my dentist advised a salt water solution to ease the pain of mouth ulcers. Osmosis he reckoned. I thought they were great up to Crazy Horses.

[boxtops]

I'm a fan of Sandersons Throat Linctus, you can only get it in Boots - it tastes like battery acid and burns like hell, but it sure works.