Healing home remedies for acute sore throat

Apothekerkammer Bremen on home remedies and self-medication
Finally, there was now in January, the long-awaited snow and in between a few crisp-cold days. Unfortunately, the temperature fluctuations also ensure that our immune system gets out of balance. Thus, in the environment more and more often coughed, spoken in a scratchy voice or often enjoys. What helps best here, explains the Apothekerkammer Bremen.
Dry heating air and fluctuating temperatures - the body is put to the test in winter. In order not to be permanently burdened with cough and runny nose, it is necessary to strengthen the body's defenses sufficiently. "Lots of fresh air, well-balanced diet, sports, warm clothes and sufficient sleep are still the best medicine to avoid getting sick," said Vice-President Klaus Scholz. Should it nevertheless come to cold symptoms such as headache, nose snag and sore throat, self-medication is okay in the first step.

Just home remedies can help with a sore throat. Picture: SENTELLO - fotolia

Provide relief
Sore throat is one of the most common complaints that people first come to the drugstore before visiting a doctor. An acute pharyngitis - the so-called pharyngitis - without additional symptoms can usually be treated without complications and quickly. For example, those who would like to resort to home remedies can gargle with salt water or sage, suck ice cubes or try neck wraps. Either a simple cold wrap overnight or a filling with cottage cheese or crushed potatoes is good here. "In the pharmacy, we also advise patients on herbal remedies such as tea," said the vice president. After all, drinking a lot during the cold phase is the highest premise. "The mucous membranes are kept sufficiently moist by the fluid, and the common cold viruses can not multiply so well. In addition, medicinal plants have a germ-inhibiting, anti-inflammatory and decongestant effect, "says Scholz.

If it would rather be pain-relieving, over-the-counter analgesics, "paracetamol, aspirin, flurbiprofen or ibuprofen, for example, are proven to be the best help," says Scholz. For topical anesthetics, the active ingredients lidocaine, benzocaine and ambroxol are recommended. If you have more cold symptoms such as congested sinuses and coughing, a combination of painkillers and topical application such as spray, juice or lozenges makes sense.

Do not wait too long
The number of over-the-counter remedies for flu-like infections or coughs is very large these days. As a layman, it is therefore difficult to keep track - many rely on tips from family and friends or ask specifically in the pharmacy. "Of course, we try to advise the patient as much as possible so that the symptoms disappear quickly. However, if there is no improvement after three days or if additional symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath, severe hoarseness or skin rash are added, the affected person should quickly become a doctor ", says Scholz. (Pm)