{"id":3069,"date":"2024-03-08T17:58:13","date_gmt":"2024-03-08T22:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/?p=3069"},"modified":"2024-03-08T17:58:14","modified_gmt":"2024-03-08T22:58:14","slug":"home-remedies-for-a-sore-throat-and-when-to-see-a-doctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/home-remedies-for-a-sore-throat-and-when-to-see-a-doctor\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Remedies for a Sore Throat and When to See a Doctor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/throat\/sore-throat\/\">Sore throats<\/a> are a widespread condition and can make swallowing, eating or speaking challenging. Various factors, from illnesses to environmental irritants, can provoke sore throats. Typically, they are not a cause for concern and can be managed effectively at home. Knowing what causes a sore throat and what treatments are available can equip you to handle the condition for yourself or for a loved one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Identifying and Addressing Sore Throat Triggers and Symptoms<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1254\" height=\"836\" src=\"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Woman-sips-tea-for-sore-throat.jpg\" alt=\"Woman with sore throat sips tea\" class=\"wp-image-3072\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5;width:591px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Woman-sips-tea-for-sore-throat.jpg 1254w, https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Woman-sips-tea-for-sore-throat-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1254px) 100vw, 1254px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The culprits behind a sore throat are often viral or bacterial infections. Strep throat, for example, is the primary diagnosis in <a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/diseases\/4602-strep-throat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">15-35% of cases in children and 5-15% in adults<\/a>. However, infections are not the only triggers. Other factors that can induce a sore throat include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Environmental irritants such as dry or polluted air and temperature changes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/allergy\/\">Allergic reactions<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exposure to cold weather<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>While rare, more serious conditions like throat tumors, HIV or epiglottitis can also lead to a sore throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond the typical discomfort, while consuming food or speaking, symptoms of a sore throat can extend to a scratchy feeling, tender lymph nodes near the throat or inflamed tonsils, and may coincide with a cough, nasal congestion, runny nose or fever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seek medical attention if you or someone in your household experiences persistent symptoms, struggles with breathing or has trouble opening their mouth. Other symptoms necessitating medical attention include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Facial or neck swelling<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fevers exceeding 101\u00b0F<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Blood in saliva or phlegm<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Continuous hoarseness for more than two weeks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ear pain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Skin rashes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Soothing a Sore Throat at Home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For a sore throat without severe symptoms, the Mayo Clinic suggests several home treatments:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Take vocal and physical rest to promote recovery<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stay hydrated<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enjoy comforting and warm caffeine-free beverages and foods like soups and teas from Local Lion or cool down with ice pops<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gargle with salt water<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use a humidifier to moisten the air<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Steer clear of environmental irritants<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Suck on lozenges or hard candies for those older than four<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Herbal remedies may offer relief but consult your physician to prevent interactions with other medications. Herbal treatments should not replace antibiotics for bacterial infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If home treatments don&#8217;t alleviate the symptoms, keep a close watch and consult a doctor when needed. For further information on ear, nose and throat (ENT) health or to book a consultation, contact <span class=\"company-name \">Blue Ridge ENT<\/span> to schedule an appointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><ul class=\"related-posts\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/the-impacts-of-smoking-on-ent-health-risks-and-recovery\/\" class=\"related-post\">The Impacts of Smoking on ENT Health: Risks and Recovery<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/common-reasons-for-speech-delay\/\" class=\"related-post\">Common Reasons for Speech Delay<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/what-to-know-about-nasal-endoscopies\/\" class=\"related-post\">What to Know About Nasal Endoscopies<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sore throats are a widespread condition and can make swallowing, eating or speaking challenging. Various factors, from illnesses to environmental irritants, can provoke sore throats. Typically, they are not a cause for concern and can be managed effectively at home. Knowing what causes a sore throat and what treatments are available can equip you to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3072,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3069"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3069"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3069\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3074,"href":"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3069\/revisions\/3074"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueridge-ent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}