How to Treat Pain When Swallowing
How to treat pain when swallowing? Pain when swallowing can be experienced by anyone without exception, both children and adults. There are many things that can cause pain when swallowing. However, this condition is often caused by strep throat.
In addition to strep throat there are also several other types of diseases that can cause pain when swallowing. Some of these diseases are flu, chronic cough, tonsillitis, sores in the esophagus (ulcers), and stomach acid that goes up into the esophagus (gastric acid reflux).
The process of swallowing involves various muscles and nerves in the body, including those in the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach. Therefore, when there is a disturbance in that part of the body, it can cause pain when swallowing.
How to Treat Pain When Swallowing At Home
Besides being caused by disease, pain when swallowing can also be caused by talking or shouting a lot. If this happens, then you do not need to rush to take painkillers. You can try some of the following at home to relieve pain when swallowing:
1. Drink lots of water
To meet the needs of body fluids and relieve pain when swallowing you are advised to drink 8 glasses of water a day. Drinking water can prevent irritation, moisturize and soothe an inflamed throat.
2. Consuming hot drinks and food
To relieve pain when swallowing you can drink warm drinks such as tea mixed with honey and lemon. You can also try chamomile flower tea, or herbal teas that contain natural ingredients, such as ginger and liquorice.
In addition to drinking warm drinks, you can also consume warm foods such as chicken soup when you have a sore throat. Consuming warm chicken soup can help loosen mucus, soothe the throat and help relieve pain when swallowing.
3. Gargle with salt water
Gargling with salt water can help clear the throat, reduce swelling, loosen phlegm, and prevent upper respiratory infections.
How to make a brine solution is to mix half a teaspoon of salt with one glass of warm water. After that, use the solution to rinse your mouth. Do gargle every 3 hours or as needed. In addition, you can also add a quarter of baking soda to the solution. Make sure when you rinse your mouth while tilting your head up so that the salt water can reach the back of the throat area.
3. Warm compresses on the neck area
Performing external treatments such as warm compresses on the neck can speed up the healing process of pain when swallowing. The trick is to use a cloth that has been dipped in warm water and squeezed to compress the neck area. In addition to using a cloth, you can also use a bottle filled with warm water and then attach it to the neck area.
4. Using liniment or rubbing oil
Use a liniment or rubbing oil made from herbs, such as peppermint or menthol, to be applied to the nose, neck and chest area. In addition, you also inhale the aroma to help soothe an inflamed throat.
5. Avoid smoking habits and exposure to polluted air
Avoiding smoking habits can relieve pain when swallowing. This is because in cigarettes there is tar which can irritate the lining of the throat.
In addition, avoiding exposure to air pollution such as dust, cigarette smoke, vehicle fumes also needs to be done. If necessary, you can also use a humidifier to keep the air around you moist and clean.
How to Cure Pain When Swallowing
If you have tried the various methods above, but still feel pain when swallowing, you can consult a doctor to determine the cause. Later the doctor will treat the pain when swallowing that you feel according to the cause. The following are medicines that your doctor may give you when you experience pain when swallowing:
1. Anti-inflammatory
One of the main causes of pain when swallowing is due to inflammation. Therefore, you may be given anti-inflammatory medicines by a doctor to reduce inflammation in the tonsils, throat and esophagus. This medicine can be given in the form of tablets, syrup, or spray.
2. Antibiotics
How to stop sore throat when swallowing can use antibiotics. If the cause of pain when swallowing is due to a bacterial infection of the tonsils, throat and esophagus, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics. However, antibiotics are not effective if the infection is caused by a virus.
Types of antibiotic drugs that are often used to treat pain when swallowing are penicillin and amoxicillin. If you have an allergy to these antibiotics, your doctor will prescribe another type of antibiotic.
3. Mouthwash
Mouthwash can be used as a pain reliever when swallowing. In addition, mouthwash can also eradicate germs that cause infections in the throat.
That's the explanation that I can write about how to treat pain when swallowing, hopefully the explanation above can be useful.
