When I was 21 I let a bad sore throat go for over a week, toughing it out by gargling salt water. Randomly I drove my dad to the doctor for a checkup and asked the doctor if the slight rash I was getting was a problem, kind of off the cuff.
Don’t let sore throats go over a few days.
Assuming it’s just the usual upper respiratory infection that’s causing the sore throat (some minor swelling + irritation from sinus drainage), then an anti-inflammatory like Ibuprofen along with a nice, hot tea should help. For what it’s worth, I’m a big fan of Throat Coat, a mass-marketed medicinal tea whose major ingredient is Slippery Elm.
If there’s any chance it might be more than the usual viral upper respiratory crud, then a visit to the local physician would be in order. ElGuapo’s tale of that slight rash is definitely a cautionary one.
Sinus infections are contagious? Since when?
Anyway, I have had a sore throat all week. I’ve used Hall’s honey (I’m not calling you Honey; that’s the flavor) with menthol. Worked quite well. But cough drops chap the top of my mouth. Sigh.
Salt water is great, but leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
Also, so ends the era of anyone ever complaining about medical advice threads on EE. Sanctioned by the admin!
To be fair, most medical advice threads on qt3 are usually along the lines of “I’ve got necrosis but don’t want to see a doctor.”
I dunno about the States, but doctors here really seem to be limiting the amount of antibiotics they perscribe now (rightly so), so going to the doctor with a sore throat and the sniffles probably won’t get you anything other than the advice listed here.
It may be mass-marketed, but the lady who originally formulated the Traditional Medicinals line of teas (or tisanes, if you prefer) is a highly-respected herbalist who really knows her stuff. She lives up on the side of a mountain about an hour away from here.
Personally, I’m a fan of Halls Mentholyptus throat lozenges, and/or Thayers Slippery Elm lozenges. The hot toddy is nice for relief, too, although I usually go with dark rum, and add a little ginger, also.
Wow, that tops my best sore throat ever. I toughed one out for a week once and then went to the doctor because swallowing was so painful I hadn’t eaten in three days. Turns out I had some nasty virus that had caused blisters to form all over my throat and tonsils. Ucky stuff.
I got prescription painkillers for that one.
Interesting side note, not eating for three days made everything I ate thereafter taste unbelievably good. Hunger truly is the best sauce.
/me shrugs.
Sinusitis isn’t but bugs are. It was explained to me as a mild flu that seems like a bad allergy or persistent cold or sore throat.
Water+Salt=Gargle
I have a feeling Tom’s now downing shots of vodka every time his throats feels a bit scratchy, and is going to be found in some random back alley yelling about how the pharmacy is trying to trick you into buying medication instead of just drinking away your pain.
Going by the advice in this thread, that seems about right.
I’m pretty much just toughing it out.
I can’t abide gargling salt water. I’d rather just have the sore throat. Drinking tea (ugh!) isn’t much better than gargling salt water. I also don’t really drink, so the whole vodka/whiskey thing is out. Mostly, I’m lying on the couch, playing Rune Factory, and feeling sorry for myself. Since my throat feels a little better today, it seems to be working!
-TomFWIW, I haven’t suffered from a sore throat since I started gargling alcohol about a decade ago. Whenever my throat start feeling sore, I gargle with a slighty-less-than-a-shot worth of 35-40% Schnapps/Vodka/Whatever about 3 times a day (sometimes more). I honestly don’t like the taste of it, but when you’ve got a cold, Vodka in particular don’t really taste like anything.
I still get the sniffles/fever/whatever that comes with the cold or flu, but the sore throat goes away. Which means I can eat and drink without problems (lots of fluids is particularly good for you when you have a fever).
That’s a 100% success rate. I don’t know what else I could say to endorse it.
Respectfully
krise madsen
Apple Cider Vinegar
It owns sore throats.
You’d rather have a sore throat and feel sorry for yourself than gargle or drink tea?..
Is this some kind of public self-flagellation thing, Tom? Are you feeling guilty about something?
Maybe he is trying to be more like the rest of us EE attention-whore whiners.
At least take some Ibuprofen (Advil).
Gargle salt water? Dudes, I’ve already been creamed by waves while frolicking in the ocean. I’d rather not repeat the experience. As for tea…lord, who can drink that stuff? It’s like weak coffee, but not as good.
I was hoping someone would know of an anti-sore throat pill like, I dunno, Allegra or something. I’m not much of a medicine guy, so I don’t know the names for these things. It seems like the worst part is over anyway, so the Advil, Thera-Flu, and Rune Factory will do.
-TomEdit your post. Men do not “frolic” in the ocean. They swim, wade, jump, or kill sharks, but they do not frolic.
But it is okay to whine when you get sick, I’m a pro at that.
Wait, I thought “frolic” was another word for killing sharks. Because that’s what I was talking about.
-Tom
What kind of tea are you referring to? It’s easy to find really good stuff, depending on your tastes.
I’m just glad you’re alive to be honest, when I saw the thread topic “Chick choked” earlier today I thought maybe you ate one too many lozenges. Turns out it was about something else. Like really something else. Entirely.