So I woke up this morning with a lug in my throat. You know when you possibly may sleep with your mouth open and just feel like it is achy, but your plugged up, but it is not strept throat . it hurts to swallow and you only want hot tea. What is that ? I have had it before, never had strept before.... it most likely is not. So what do you take ? Airborn ? Clariatin ? ( not a good speller so don't count the mistakes ) LOL.
I swear by zinc- whenever you feel sick, at the first sign of anything, take a zinc vitamin. More often than not, I feel totally better by the next day, and if I do get sick, it's for a very short time.
I buy Children's Liquid Sudafed from a regular family owned pharmacy. It makes the mucus runnier and easier to get out. It loosens the goo in the throat too so it makes that feeling go away.
Don't take Airborn - they just got in all kinds of trouble for advertising stuff they can't prove. Big fines, had to change their commercials, etc. If you sleep with your mouth open, that's a whole problem on its own. If it's throat dryness, you can try a really good hydrator before bed (absorbed into cells so you won't be up peeing all night. When you say you're plugged up, do you mean just your throat feels constricted or do you mean your nose and sinuses? If the latter, try a neti pot (available at most large pharmacies and some health food stores - washes out the sinuses with warm salt water. But if you mean the throat, the neti pot won't work.
Could be allergies - that can be addressed nutritionally. Claritin and those allergy meds will just dry you out more and they are more geared to the nose & sinuses. Strep won't feel better as the day goes on and it won't heal itself. Tea with honey can help but nutritional solutions will help overall. Don't just grab the meds - they won't help long term and they can cause other problems. Let me know if you want more info.
gargle with warm salt water frequently, see if that helps.
Zinc - you can buy capsules at the grocery store pretty cheap. Look in the vitamin section. Most vitamin sections are in ABC order, so Zinc will be down low on the right most likely.
And/Or EmergenC. I like Tangerine flavor. My husband does not. He prefers the Cranberry Pomegranate.
how do you know it's not strep?
If it hasn't improved since this morning, it could be "allergy/sinus" drainage causing the pain....but it could also be strep, especially since you feel a "lump". I get lumps all over the back of my throat, uvula, & tonsils when I have strep....in addition to the pain, the redness, & sometimes a fever.
I use Zyrtec for the drainage issues, & hot tea with honey & lemon for my sore throat. If I really need to cut the "ick" in my throat, I sometimes slip a little Jack or brandy into my tea. :)
The fizzies in soda are great for cutting the "ick", too!
If you think it's a cold, get an echinacea throat spray. I carry one in my purse and zap a cold the first moment I feel my throat getting scratchy. Powerful stuff!
My GD is just getting over a "throat thing." She's missed the better part of 3 weeks of school! The doc gave her an antibiotic which she took until they were gone. She felt better for about 2 days and then it came right back! She's now on her second round of antibiotics and is finally feeling like her old self.
If you have a throat infection, you'll need an antibiotic. If it's not an infection, hot tea with honey will probably be very soothing. Also gargling with warm salt water should help. Warm salt water works wonders in your mouth!
To soothe your throat- mint tea with honey. Maybe take a decongestant, and tylenol or ibuprofen to decrease the swelling. You can also use a mirror and flashlight to look at the back of your throat, to see if it's really red or getting better. I think if you see white spots, then it might be an infection.
