Sore throat solutions: what to eat and what to skip, read more to know details

23 Oct 2024, 06:47 by KalingaTV Bureau · KalingaTV

The winter season has arrived. Influenza spreads rapidly as winter approaches, threatening public health significantly. Doctors strongly recommend everyone to get vaccinated against the flu and take precautions to avoid getting sick. As winter approaches, due to the changes in temperature many people will experience communicable diseases like cough, cold, sore throat and runny nose. Among those, having a sore throat is extremely uncomfortable. It will make it hard to talk, eat, swallow and sometimes it gets challenging to drink liquids too. Pain relievers like Acetaminophen, Aspirin and Ibuprofen can treat sore throat along with avoiding certain foods and drinks and intaking others can support easing the pain.

Here are some soothing food and drink options to reduce the sore throat pain:

Warm tea

Warm tea containing mint, ginger or peppermint, turmeric and chamomile can significantly ease the throat pain for some time. Warm tea or warm liquids help soothing the inflammation and reliving the pain. Tea with antibacterial properties can reduce the throat infection and cure the condition. Drink warm tea like chamomile tea, peppermint tea, ginger tea, honey and lemon tea to soothe the pain.

Comforting Foods

Try eating comforting and easy to swallow foods like, soft fruits, gentle grains, hot beverages, warm and moisty desserts. Gentle grains like cooked rice, quinoa, and soft-cooked vegetables helps providing relief. Take soothing treats like honey, warm toast, and lozenges to help calm the throat. Choose warm and moisty desserts that are easy to swallow such as, pudding, custard, soft cakes, soft-cooked pasta and moist cookies.

Cooked vegetables

Opt for cooked vegetable instead of eating the raw ones. Cooked vegetables are soft and tender as compared to raw vegetables which will help you swallow with out facing any challenges. Cooked vegetables contain water which will help keeping the moisture level of throat in balance. Eating cooked vegetables can help curing the sore throat by providing essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Soup

Soups are great pain-reliver for a sore throat. Soups provide essential nutrients and hydration. Opt for warm, gentle options like tomato soup, vegetable broth, chicken soup and many more convenient options. These soups are easy to swallow and contains antimicrobial properties. They helps in calming inflammation and soothe the discomfort.

Ice-cream

Ice-creams provide temporary relief from sore throat due to its cold temperature which helps numbing the pain. Additionally, the cream, sugar, and flavors can calm irritation. It can provide hydration also. Choose gentle flavors like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, or creamy options.

Foods and drinks to avoid during sore throat:

Spicy food

Avoid spicy food that can increase the difficulties during sore throat. Do not incorporate extremely spicy foods like hot peppers, spicy curries, and fiery sauces like hot sauce and sriracha to avoid irritation. If you are a fan of spicy foods, do not forget to drink plenty of water to reduce the inflammation. Try to eat without touching the throat for not getting any unnecessary discomfort.

Alcohol

Alcohol is both acidic and drying. It dehydrates the body. Drinking alcohol during sore throat can significantly increase the burning sensation due to the acidic nature. It can make the throat dry. During sore throat it is advised to keep the throat dry and moisturized. Avoid drinking alcohol until you get perfectly fine.

Dairy products

Dairy products are much thicker and hard to swallow. It is not convenient to take dairy foods during sore throat which can make it extra hard to swallow foods. Diary products have an acidic pH which will irritate the infected throat more. Scientifically proven that, dairy stimulates mucus production. This will worse the congestion and throat irritation. It is suggested to incorporate moderate amount of diary products if can not be completely avoided.

Acidic fruits

Acidic fruits like grapes, pineapple and oranges can irritate the throat due to high amount of acids within them. Acidic fruits may trigger coughing which will automatically make the swallowing process more tough. Acidic properties of few fruits can cause itching, redness and swelling in the throat.

Crunchy foods

Avoid spicy, acidic, sharp, or crunchy foods that can irritate the throat further. Avoid crispy chips, crackers, dry cereals, and raw vegetables to avoid more problems during sore throat. Crunchy foods can trigger cough while swallowing. It’s sharp texture will make the inflammation more worse. Choose soft, warm and liquid kind of foods during sore throat.

A sore throat can worsen over time if left untreated. However, it can be effectively managed in its initial stages if taken care of properly. To prevent the infection from progressing, follow these above mentioned tips and do not forget to consult a health care professional proper diagnosis and treatment.