Pharyngitis medical therapy
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Medical Therapy
There are three types of treatment: symptomatic, remedial and preventive. Symptomatic treatments are aimed at reducing pain and symptoms. Remedial treatments attempt to cure pharyngitis by reducing its spread and speeding up the healing process. Preventive treatments attempt to block the start of an infection.
Remedial treatments are mostly effective for bacterial infections such as streptococcal infections. For viral infections, even with treatment, most cases of pharyngitis will still settle spontaneously within a few days. Hence the most popular method of treatment is symptomatic. Many preventive treatments are also remedial, thus those two treatments will be listed in the same section.
Twenty-two non-antibiotic managements for sore throat have been studied in controlled trials.[1]Analgesics are among the most effective, but there are many simple measures that can also be used.
Symptomatic treatments
- Analgesics such as NSAIDs can help reduce the pain associated with a sore throat.[1]
- Throat lozenges (cough medicine) are often used for short-term pain relief.
- Avoid foods and liquids highly acidic in nature, as they will provoke temporary periods of intense pain.
- Warm tea (true or Tisane) or soup can help temporarily alleviate the pain of a sore throat.
- Cold beverages, popsicles and ice cubes numb the nerves of the throat somewhat, alleviating the pain for a brief time.
- Mouthwash (when gargled) reduces the pain but only for a brief time.
- Drinking heavy amounts of liquid reduces the pain for a short time.
- Peppermint candy might help with some cases as well as other hard candies. It will reduce the pain for a short time.
- Yogurt has been shown to help alleviate the pain temporarily by coating the affected area. Milk also has the same effect.
- Gargling with warm saline solution may help reduce mucus. [2] While it is a popular household remedy, there is little evidence that it provides any long-term benefit.
Remedial and preventive treatments
Performing remedial treatments early when a patient's throat begins to feel scratchy may help the infection from spreading to the rest of the throat and back of the mouth, which can result in difficulty in swallowing. Treatment should begin the first or second day of the illness, however if the patient has a cold or the flu, the infection may still continue to spread to other areas such as the ears through the eustachian tube (causing an earache) and to the lungs through the trachea (causing a cough). Healthy people who will be in frequent contact with someone with pharyngitis may also try the measures below, of which some can be also be preventive, to help inhibit the start of an infection.
- The use of antibiotics is a helpful remedial treatment when a bacterial infection is the cause of the sore throat. For viral sore throats, antibiotics have no effect.
- Honey has long been used for treating sore throats due to its antiseptic properties.[3]
- Swallowing a couple teaspoons of raw lemon or lime juice several times a day may help destroy microorganisms in bacteria-related throat infections.[4] Research also shows that lemon juice may destroy some viruses such as HIV.[5] This remedy should be started during the first or second day of sickness as citric acid can irritate your throat tissues after the Pharyngitis becomes too widespread. If this is the case, you may try a diluted solution of lemon, honey and tea (or lemon with hot water).
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Thomas M, Del Mar CB, Glasziou P. (2000). "How effective are treatments other than antibiotics for acute sore throat?" (PDF). Br J GP. 50 (459): 817–820. PMID 11127175.
- ↑ "Sore throat: Self-care - MayoClinic.com". Retrieved 2007-09-17.
- ↑ Ramoutsaki I, Papadakis C, Ramoutsakis I, Helidonis E (2002). "Therapeutic methods used for otolaryngological problems during the Byzantine period". Ann. Otol. Rhinol. Laryngol. 111 (6): 553–7. PMID 12090712.
- ↑ "USE OF CITRIC ACID AS ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT OR ENHANCER OR AS ANTICANCER AGENT - SHANBROM TECH LLC".
- ↑ "Lemon juice may kill AIDS virus: research - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)".