Introduction
During a cold, a viral or even bacterial infection, sore throat can often be the first symptom. Sometimes they also appear only in the course of the disease. The pain can be felt at rest, when speaking or swallowing.
Especially in the case of swallowing problems, which often make it difficult to swallow fluids and food, a treatment for sore throat should be considered. In children, a quick normalization of fluid intake is important. In order to alleviate the symptoms and accelerate healing, various medications are available in tablet form, as gargle solutions or sprays. With each application it should be noted that the medications often only have a superficial effect and therefore for the most part only alleviate the symptoms. If the sore throat does not improve, a doctor should be consulted to get to the bottom of the cause of the sore throat.
What over-the-counter drugs are available?
Prescription-free medicines for sore throats can be bought simply – without a previous visit to the doctor – in the pharmacy or sometimes even in the drugstore. On the one hand, normal pain medication such as ibuprofen, paracetamol can be taken. These drugs can also be given to children.
Ibuprofen also has an anti-inflammatory effect and can thus reduce the inflammation in the throat caused by the infection. Paracetamol can reduce possible fever. If ibuprofen or paracetamol is taken for swallowing difficulties, this should be done at least half an hour before food intake.
Flurbiprofen is another remedy that can be bought over the counter from a pharmacy. These are lozenges that can be used for sore throats. The lozenge has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect directly on the mucous membrane of the throat.
However, it should be noted that Flurbiprofen is not used in children under 12 years of age. Lozenges with other ingredients such as Icelandic moss or sage can also relieve the discomfort in the throat or moisten the mucous membrane in the throat and thus accelerate healing. Lemocin® can also inhibit the spread of the infection and relieve existing complaints.
In addition, gargle solutions against bacterial infections of the throat – e.g. with chlorhexidine – can reduce the discomfort in the throat. Sprays containing the active ingredient chlorhexidine can also be used to treat sore throats. Furthermore, especially in the case of a blocked nose, care should be taken to ensure free nasal breathing by means of nasal sprays.
If you breathe only through the mouth, the pharyngeal mucosa dries out, which can increase sore throats. Which dosage form is suitable should be decided individually. For example, gargling solutions often cannot be used with small children because they do not yet know exactly how gargling works. Different medications can also be combined.
- Pain medication
- Lozenges
- Gargle solutions and sprays
- Nasal Sprays
