Acute sore throat Flashcards
(11 cards)
Acute sore throat
painful throat, redness in the back of your mouth, dry, scratchy, swollen neck glands, bad breath
How long is it going on for?
Self-limiting - within a week
Advice and how to reduce its time?
gargle with salty warm water (mechanical removal of microbe, less time of contact so only transient relief), drink plenty of water, eat soft foods, no smoking, and suck ice cubes.
Medicines
Paracetamol, ibuprofen, chloralieve lozenges, medicated and non-medicated lozenges, difflam spray, difflam oral rinse, AAA throat spray, TCP liquid, oraldene, Ultra Chloraseptic Anaesthetic Spray (can be used for under 6), Covonia Throat Spray, Strefen.
There is no medicine in the lozenge – how it will treat my sore throat?
The action of sucking anything produces saliva, which lubricates and soothes inflamed tissues and washes infecting organisms off them. All lozenges and pastilles, regardless of ingredients, produce this action and much, if not all, of their effectiveness is due to this – greatest benefit of recommending lozenges in the first place.
For a sore, ‘tickly’ throat - recommend?
- Non- medicated Demulcents lozenges – vocalzone, lemon & honey, glycerol pastilles.
Disadv. of Demulcents lozenges
High sugar content.
Medicated lozenges
Strepsils and Lemsip triple action.
Anti-microbial throat lozenges
bactericidal and anti-fungal for secondary infections, active against lipophilic viruses – except for rhinovirus (hydrophilic).
For a sore throat with discomfort on swallowing
recommend lozenge with Benzocaine in it (to relief discomfort) – but not for children or elderly at all. Limited usage: 5 days, NSAID lozenge or spray – flurbiprofen or benzydamine.
when to refer?
if >7 days, recurrent, accompany with very high temp., weekend immune system – other Diseases etc.
