"My throat is like swallowing a blade, and I die of pain!"
"Ahem, ahem, don't mention it, I'm coughing badly too. ”
"Alas, my Baojuan's voice hasn't gotten better for three days. ”
......
Recently, there have been complaints in the office, the sound of throat clearing and coughing has come and gone, counting, good guys, three people have a cold, two people have a flu. When discussing the condition, everyone found a very strange thing, when the onset of the disease invariably started with a sore throat.
Winter is the period of high incidence of respiratory virus infections, including influenza, new coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, etc., and the first symptom of these respiratory infections is usually a sore throat! Why is the throat always "injured" first after a respiratory virus infection?
This winter, why is it always the throat that hurts?
The throat, which serves as a passage connecting the nasal cavity and the oral cavity, is the main entry point for foreign pathogens, while the mucous membrane of the throat is relatively fragile and susceptible to viral invasion.
In addition, the cells here secrete mucus to keep the airways clean, which is an ideal attachment point for the virus and begins to attack immune cells, leading to inflammation that causes pain, swelling and coughing in the throat.
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, if a cold comes up and it feels like the throat is "swallowing blades", it is likely to be a wind-heat cold. Warm and sick spirits, mostly from the mouth and nose, directly attack the throat. The throat is the gateway to the lungs and stomach, where diseases tend to coalesce and turn into pus, and if the throat continues to burn, it will cause swelling, pain and redness. At the same time, the heat hurts the jin and the fluid is insufficient, resulting in symptoms such as dry throat, thirst and drinking, and red tongue tip.
I don't want to "swallow the blade" in my throat, and do these things seriously
At present, the wind and heat are raging, and respiratory diseases are prevalent, so if you don't want to "swallow a blade" in your throat, you can start to relieve sore throat from medicine, food, life measures and other aspects.
1. Medication
For sore throat caused by wind, heat and evil qi, the treatment principle of "clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting lung and dissipating wind, and relieving cough in the throat" should be followed, and Chinese medicine or proprietary Chinese medicine with heat-clearing and detoxification effects can be taken under the guidance of a doctor. You can soak in water with Lingdancao to clear heat, detoxify, expectorate, or directly take Lingdancao granules, the main ingredient of which is Lingdancao, which has the effect of clearing heat and dispelling wind, detoxifying and relieving pharynx, cough and expectorant, and is suitable for wind-heat poison, sore throat, pulmonary fever cough, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, upper respiratory tract infection and other diseases.
The drug is a granule preparation, which is convenient to carry on business trips or trips, and can be taken at any time. Especially for patients with sore throat, the effect is better, it is recommended to take 2-3 courses of treatment according to the dosage of the instructions, generally 2-3 boxes of a course of treatment. If the patient is accompanied by other respiratory tract infection symptoms such as fever, nasal congestion, runny nose, etc., drugs such as Sangju cold tablets or Gankang can be used in combination to enhance the overall treatment effect.
2. Drink plenty of water
Drinking warm water can help moisten the throat, speed up the resolution of inflammation and reduce the symptoms of a sore throat. It is recommended to drink small amounts often to help maintain water balance.
3. Hypertonic saline gargle
Hypertonic saline helps to reduce the local inflammatory response of the throat, you can use 3%-5% concentration of hypertonic saline to gargle, which is equivalent to 250ml of water to add 5~6g of salt.
4. Eat plenty of throat moisturizers
Eating more foods that moisten the throat is also a good way to help relieve sore throat, you can eat loquat, honey, pears, etc., which can moisten the lungs and clear away heat, and relieve cough.
Of course, if the symptoms are getting worse day by day, no matter how much they are relieved, it is recommended to seek medical attention in time to avoid delaying the disease.
Don't underestimate a sore throat and seek medical attention if you have these symptoms
Generally speaking, mild acute pharyngitis, the throat is only slightly dry itching, burning or mild pain, and may also be accompanied by fever, dry cough or a small amount of mucus cough up and other symptoms, at this time, you can take medicine such as elixir granules in time.
If it progresses to severe disease, the patient may have pharyngeal edema to the point of obstructing the throat and causing dyspnea, so it is necessary to pay more attention to it, go to the hospital in time to improve the examination, and treat the symptoms.
The weather is getting colder and colder, the body's resistance will also become worse, so it is more susceptible to the invasion of the virus, to prevent sore throat, we should pay attention to daily care, first of all, we must use our voice reasonably, try to avoid speaking loudly for a long time, and secondly, quit smoking and limit alcohol, drink less carbonated drinks, coffee, strong tea, and finally maintain a good Xi habits, regular work and rest, and avoid staying up late.
Resources:
[1] Du Zhuowen, Yao Xingmei, Zhou Yulin. Research progress on the effect of non-drug interventions on respiratory virus infections [J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Public Health, 1-5[2023-12-14]
[2] Wang Xinweizi, Zhai Jianxiu, Li Xu, et al. Research Progress on the Pathogenesis of Wind Chill and Wind Heat Cold and Their Animal Models Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory [J]. Chinese Herbal Medicine, 2023, 54 (23): 7874-7883.
[3] Tu Shoudong. The main clinical symptoms of sore throat and pharyngitis and the rational choice of treatment drugs [J]. Heilongjiang Medicine, 2015, 28 (03): 546-549.