Sprays against sore throat

Introduction

A sore throat is one of the most common symptoms of a cold. A flu-like infection is caused by cold viruses, which cause a painful inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa. Sore throats are very unpleasant for those affected and can be relieved with medication. For self-medication, in addition to analgesic lozengesics and pastilles, sprays for sore throats are suitable.

The sprays at a glance

There are different sprays against sore throat, which with different active ingredients lead to pain relief. The spray from WICK®, for example, contains the anaesthetic lidocaine, a local anaesthetic that makes the throat mucosa insensitive to pain stimuli. There are sprays that have a disinfecting effect in the throat.

These include Locabiosol with the active ingredient Fusafungin, which is no longer available, and the Neo-Angin® throat spray with amylmetacresol. Disinfecting throat sprays have the advantage of an antibacterial effect. Sprays against sore throats from Tantum verde® and Dobendan® are also popular.

The spray of Tantum verde® quickly relieves pain and is suitable for children. The spray of Dobendan® scores with a long duration of action of up to 6 hours. There are also herbal sprays for sore throats, which naturally relieve pain and have a disinfecting effect. One example is the Bronchostop® throat spray with sage and thyme extract.

The active ingredients

Medications for sore throats often have a local anaesthetic (topical local anaesthetics) or disinfectant effect (topical disinfectants). Besides also vegetable medicaments, the so-called Phytopharmaka, are used. Topical local anaesthetics often contain the active ingredient lidocaine.

Lidocaine makes the tissue in the neck less sensitive to pain stimuli. The pain stimuli do not reach the brain and are therefore not perceived as painful. Sprays against sore throat, which have a disinfecting effect on the throat, contain the active ingredients fusafungin, amylmetacresol or hexetidine.

These substances have an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect on the throat. The Locabiosol dosage spray contains, for example, the active ingredient fusafungin. The drug Neo-Angin throat spray contains amylmetacresol and the hexoral spray hedetidine.

Herbal sprays for sore throats often contain sage leaves and thyme extract, which are said to have a disinfecting and pain-relieving effect on the throat. The Dobendand® Direct Flurbiprofen spray for sore throats contains the active ingredient flurbiprofen, which has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. The Tantum Verde® spray contains benzydamine hydrochloride. This active ingredient also has an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effect and is antibacterial.