Gargling with soda, salt and iodine for sore throat: solution proportions

Author:

Amelicheva Alena Aleksandrovna medical editor

With a sore throat, a person complains of soreness, scratching, irritation, discomfort, and a burning sensation in the throat. The throat is sore, it is difficult to swallow food, drink, these sensations intensify when swallowing or talking.

Sore throat may be accompanied by swelling of the throat mucosa, difficulty swallowing, soreness and enlargement of the cervical lymph nodes, the appearance of white or yellowish spots on the tonsils, coughing, sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, fever, chills, excessive salivation, muscle and joint pain, headache, nausea and vomiting, skin rash, loss of appetite, feeling of a lump in the throat, heartburn, hoarseness.

A child has a sore throat: what and how should parents do in this case?

consultation with a pediatrician at a medical center Sore throat is one of the common reasons for outpatient and emergency visits by parents of children to doctors for help. Upper respiratory tract infections are very common in both children and adults and have significant economic consequences associated with the frequent prescribing of antibiotics by physicians, even when the causative agent is not bacteria. About a quarter of children suffering from tonsillitis also suffer from bacterial pharyngitis. Identification and adequate antibiotic treatment of group A streptococcal sore throat is important for the primary prevention of acute rheumatic fever, which occurs in 3% of cases. Therefore, in any case, if you have a sore throat, you need to show your child to a doctor to rule out diseases that are dangerous to health and life.

Treatment of sore throat

Self-medication can be dangerous. You cannot buy antibiotics that were previously prescribed at the pharmacy yourself. Only an ENT doctor prescribes the necessary medications.

If the temperature rises above 38.5° and continues for more than a day, consultation with an otolaryngologist is necessary . If you have a severe runny nose or joint pain, you should seek medical help.

Good to know:

• Different types of sore throat require different treatments. For the viral form, it is enough to take painkillers; For bacterial infections, antibiotics are needed.
• If the temperature is high for more than 24 hours, medical consultation is necessary.

How does a sore throat manifest?

The main symptom of a sore throat is pain, both at rest and when swallowing or talking. A sore throat is the primary symptom of pharyngitis. The terms "angina" and "pharyngitis or pharyngotonsillitis" are often used interchangeably. Pharyngitis refers to objective signs of inflammation of the pharynx: swelling, exudation, ulceration or obvious erythema. Redness of the throat may occur as part of a general redness of all mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract in young patients with fever. The diagnosis of pharyngitis is justified only when the pharynx is objectively redder than the rest of the mucous membranes.

In what cases is soda solution powerless?

The substance will help at the onset of the disease or as a supplement. If the lesion is in an advanced state, a whole treatment regimen will be required.

The solution will not help if:

• The person experiences severe pain (it is impossible to even swallow saliva).
• Severe swelling that interferes with normal breathing.
• The temperature lasts for 3 days.

If you experience any of the symptoms listed above, consult your doctor immediately. He will prescribe a whole course of treatment, including strong drugs. Perhaps it will include rinsing as an addition.

Gargling with a solution of baking soda and salt

What could be the causes of a sore throat?

Most often, sore throats are caused by viruses. Less commonly, sore throats occur due to bacterial infections. Viral pathogens such as corona virus, rhinovirus, adenovirus, influenza and parainfluenza are the most common and usually present as a cold. Other viral infections that may present with a sore throat are the Epstein-Barr virus and HIV, which lead to the development of a sore throat early in the disease.

Recurrent tonsillitis may occur due to cytomegalovirus or fungal infections in young patients with immunodeficiency.

Among bacterial infections, group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) is the most common cause of bacterial sore throat. It accounts for 15–36% of cases of acute pharyngitis in children in developed industrial countries. Other pathogens may include streptococci types C and G.

Rarer causes of sore throat include infections with Staphylococcus aureus, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Yersinia.

Fusobacterium necrophorum infection is an uncommon infection that begins with fever and sore throat and may subsequently develop into Lemierre's syndrome, which is characterized by blood poisoning, thrombosis of the internal jugular vein, and at least one metastatic site of infection.

Another group of causes of sore throat in children are peritonsillar, retropharyngeal and lateral pharyngeal abscesses, which arise due to the spread of infection from local sources, for example, bacterial tonsillitis. Along with fever and sore throat, these cases may present other symptoms such as painful swallowing, drooling, trismus, visible swelling under the lower jaw and deviation of the uvula away from the source of inflammation.

Allergies can also be the cause of a sore throat, especially when it is complicated by nasal bleeding. Irritants such as dust, tobacco and silt stove smoke, and chemical air pollutants can lead to chronic sore throat.

Talking for a long time in a raised voice or shouting for a long time also lead to a sore throat.

A sore throat can also occur due to damage to the larynx by stomach acid due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Tips for use

To ensure that the treatment does not harm, you must adhere to the following rules:

• Prepare only one portion of the mixture and apply it immediately.
• Take only warm water. Cold intensifies the disease, and hot will burn the tissue.
• Carry out the event only after eating. Do not consume anything for 1 hour.
• Completely dissolve the ingredients in water. It is better to pour hot water into a glass and wait until it cools (the substance dissolves faster in hot water).
• Do not rinse for more than 30 seconds at a time.

What signs of the disease are assessed by the doctor?

When collecting an anamnesis and examining a child, the doctor will pay attention to the following symptoms:

• Onset and duration of sore throat
• Severity of fever
• Associated cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis, headache, myalgia (muscle pain)
• Any difficulty breathing, especially snoring at night or stridor
• History of rash, diarrhea, or allergies
• Regurgitation (reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus), pain in the epigastric or retrosternal region.
• Family history of sore throat in the past 2 weeks.
• Similar complaints in the past,
• Vaccination history

When examining the throat, the doctor may reveal:

• White or gray plaques on the surface of the tonsils or pharynx that rub off easily without bleeding.
• Ulcerations
• Plaques in the form of films, characteristic of infectious mononucleosis, diphtheria and sometimes streptococcal infection. Tularemia can also be a rare cause of such plaques.
• Films of gray or black color, extending beyond the tonsils, with swallowing problems and the absence of severe fever, are characteristic of diphtheria.
• Oral thrush, which is common in newborns and infants, may have a pseudomembrane (curdled plaques), the removal of which can cause mild pinpoint bleeding.
• Convexity of the oropharynx or lateral displacement of the uvula indicates a parapharyngeal or peritonsillar abscess.
• Herpetic sore throat is characterized by painful vesicular (bubble-like) formations on the pharynx and tonsils. Herpes simplex causes painful blisters limited to the front of the mouth, which can sometimes spread to the front of the tonsils.
• Lymphadenopathy (enlarged and painful anterior and posterior cervical lymph nodes is characteristic of bacterial tonsillitis or Epstein-Barr virus infection.
• Streptococcal pharyngitis is characterized by sore throat, temperature ≥38.3°C, tonsil and pharyngeal plaque, and cervical lymphadenopathy.
• Cough, runny nose and diarrhea are more common with viral pharyngitis.

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Reasons for the development of pharyngitis

Experts believe that the peak development of pathology occurs at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, since at this time the human immune system is especially susceptible to colds. Often in the spring season, a lack of vitamins and microelements in the human body leads to the appearance of vitamin deficiency, the body weakens and creates an excellent environment for the development of pathogenic bacteria. Inflammatory processes are also possible: both separately and against the background of the underlying disease.

The first signs of pharyngitis and its further treatment may differ depending on the stage of the pathology, gender, age and general health of the patient.

We include the following as the main reasons for the development of pharyngolaryngitis:

• hypothermia, eating too cold foods;
• deformation of the nasal septum;
• strains of microorganisms that cause the development of chlamydia, candidiasis, whooping cough, scarlet fever, measles;
• adenovirus, influenza virus;
• streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci;
• sinusitis, tonsillitis, caries, rhinitis;
• difficulty breathing through the nose;
• pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract: reflux, heartburn, hernia;
• abuse of bad habits;
• regular high loads on the vocal cords;
• polluted, toxic air;
• hormonal disorders and endocrine pathologies (diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypothyroidism, etc.);
• tonsillectomy, which was performed on the patient previously;
• infectious diseases in chronic form;
• weakened immunity.

Additional research for sore throat

The main problem when diagnosing a sore throat is not to miss the dangerous diagnoses of diphtheria and GABHS sore throat. To do this, a throat swab is taken from the child for bacterial and culture tests, including Albert's stain for diphtheria. A provisional diagnosis of diphtheria is suggested if the smear shows typical drumstick organisms. However, definitive diagnosis requires confirmation of C. diphtherium growth in culture.

To diagnose GABHS sore throat, there are antigen rapid tests. Their action is based on the extraction of group A carbohydrate antigen from throat swab materials with nitrous acid. These rapid tests are very specific (>95%) and provide immediate results, but have variable sensitivity. Confirmation of a positive result is not required, and if negative, a culture is recommended to exclude an infection dangerous to the child. Streptococcal antibody titers are not useful for diagnosing streptococcal pharyngitis and are not generally recommended.

Other studies:

• General blood analysis
• Peripheral blood smears - for the presence of atypical lymphocytes.
• Serology of Epstein-Barr virus (IgM antibodies)
• X-ray of the soft tissues of the neck (lateral view) if a retropharyngeal abscess is suspected.
• CT scan of the neck, including the base of the skull, to look for an abscess.

Gargling with soda and salt for sore throat - proportions

Sore throat is a serious disease and must be treated seriously. Pills are not always the best solution. They weaken an already exhausted body. Painkillers only treat the symptoms, not the cause. It is necessary to fight the microbes that have entered the tonsils.

It is best to fight sore throat with soda, in combination with salt. They are able to defeat the infection in a couple of days.

There are many recipes for the proportions of this combination, but the most correct is considered to be a mixture with the same amount of ingredients. If their action is uniform, the symptoms will also disappear at the same speed. Remember that you can add iodine to enhance the effect. The event should be carried out every 2 hours, then you will be able to overcome even a purulent sore throat.

Soda for gargling

Treatment for a child with a sore throat

Prescriptions must be made by a doctor based on the established diagnosis and the identified or suspected pathogen. Self-prescription of medications by parents is unacceptable. This can lead to serious consequences for the child's health.

Farnigitis caused by GABHS infection is a disease that goes away on its own. However, treatment with antibiotics in this case provides rapid relief of symptoms, prevents purulent (otitis media, sinusitis, tonsillitis) and non-purulent complications, and also reduces the possibility of transmission of infection. Antibiotics reduce the incidence of rheumatic fever by more than two-thirds.

Clinical features, epidemiological criteria, and the judgment of an experienced clinician, with or without additional testing, usually indicate the need for antibiotics. The currently used pharyngitis decision score was adapted by adding age to the four components of the original Centor score (no cough, no swollen and tender anterior cervical nodes, temperature >38°C, tonsil plaque or swelling. Each component is given 1 point. age from 3 to 14 years is also given 1 point. Children or adolescents with a score of 0 or 1 do not need antibiotic therapy. Patients with a score of 2 or 3 points should undergo microbiological diagnosis of the pathogen and receive antibiotics if the results are positive. Children with A score of 4 or higher is at high risk for streptococcal GABHS pharyngitis and should receive antibiotic therapy.

Due to cost, narrow spectrum of action, safety and effectiveness, penicillin is the drug of choice. A shorter duration of treatment increases the risk of bacteriological relapse of the disease. The unjustified use of macrolides for the treatment of GABHS pharyngitis has become the main reason for the formation of resistant strains of pathogens.

Gargling with soda and salt for sore throat - recipes

Soda is a universal remedy that acts on bacteria that cause disease and relieves inflammation and pain.

There are several ways to prepare the solution. The proportions depend on the type of lesion and the duration of the course.

Traditional recipe

• 1 tsp soda.
• 300 ml water.

Just stir the ingredient. One glass - one rinse. The frequency of the latter is at least 5 times a day.

With peroxide

Here you will need 2 glasses of water. Add a spoonful of soda to the first, a spoonful of peroxide to the second. Rinsing is carried out alternately. It needs to be done every 3 hours.

Based on iodine with sea salt

A very effective remedy. To the already prepared classic recipe, add 2 drops of iodine and a spoonful of sea salt.

With salt

No infection will survive this combination. Dissolve a spoonful of each ingredient. Add beaten egg white to the mixture. You'll probably ask why. The reason is the saturation of the solution. Protein will reduce it. Without it, even more inflammation and even burns may appear on the throat. The solution should be used 4 times a day. Salt disinfects affected tissues and kills bacteria living in the oral cavity.

Honey and milk

The recipe differs in that milk is used instead of water and you will have to drink the solution. You only need a pinch of soda and you need to add a spoonful of honey to the drink, you can supplement it with oil. After drinking the formula, you will feel how it coats your throat, reducing pain.

For treatment to be effective, refrain from eating for 60 minutes after treating your throat. Although, if a person is sick, he will not have time for food.