Topical medications can help relieve a sore throat quickly. They can be used as a basis or one of the components of therapy. You can also treat diseases that cause discomfort with systemic antibiotics. However, these powerful drugs have many contraindications, therefore they are used only in the most extreme cases, when the infection has already spread widely and gave complications. In all other cases, local medicines are recommended to relieve symptoms.
Causes of pain and choice of drugs
To choose a remedy for a sore throat that will effectively eliminate discomfort, you need to determine the cause of the disorder. Medicines must fight not only the consequences of the disease, but also its pathogens. They can perform different functions:
- eliminate viruses and microbes;
- fight bacteria or fungi;
- disinfect mucous membranes;
- eliminate pain, perspiration;
- remove phlegm;
- soften fabrics;
- increase local immunity;
- promote the regeneration of damaged tissues.
Almost all remedies for sore throat combine several active ingredients at once and have a complex effect on the damaged mucous membrane. They are used for severe bacterial and fungal infections.
If the infection was provoked by a virus, it is better to choose an antiseptic, a disinfecting aerosol will help perfectly. On the shelves of pharmacies, you can find a medicine for the throat with different properties and components, so the right choice will be easy to make for any type of violation.
Forms of drugs
To understand how to treat a sore throat, you need to figure out what forms of funds are. It is possible to treat the affected mucous membranes with special solutions using a cotton or gauze sponge; in this form, drugs for sore throat have been produced for a long time. However, now there are other, more convenient drugs.
Aerosols and sprays are designed for uniform irrigation of the mucous membrane with medicinal components, they spray the agent onto microparticles and deliver it directly to the site of the lesion. Lozenges and tablets are also good for throat treatments.
When the funds are absorbed, saliva begins to be actively secreted, it literally "washes away" the pathogenic microflora. The active components of the preparations spread over the entire mucous membrane, give an emollient, analgesic, antiseptic effect. They can also perform other functions, depending on the composition.
Difficulty of choice
It is impossible in any case to decide independently how to treat the throat. This can lead to negative consequences, the spread of infection to other parts of the respiratory tract, and complications. Medicine for sore throat is prescribed only by a doctor. He conducts a detailed examination of the patient, collects an anamnesis of the disease, studies laboratory tests, and only then makes a diagnosis and prescribes suitable throat remedies.
Also, the doctor takes into account the characteristics of the patient's body, his age, the presence of chronic diseases and other disorders. Some drugs for treatment contain components that can harm the patient.
For example, most lozenges and tablets are made with added sugar, which is dangerous for diabetics. Also, this form of drugs contains artificial colors, sweeteners, flavors and other synthetic substances, which may be personal intolerance. Such remedies should not be used to treat sore throat in people prone to allergic reactions.
It is especially difficult for pregnant and lactating women to choose how to treat their throat, since almost all drugs contain substances that can negatively affect either their health or the health of the baby.
This category of patients will be helped only by simple, non-aggressive therapy. Most often, they are prescribed antiseptics for the throat and monocomponent preparations that do not contain harmful components. These are mainly plant-based sprays, tablets, gargles or lozenges. If a future or nursing mother has a sore throat, how to treat it, it is up to the doctor to decide.
Aerosols for treatment
If your throat hurts very badly, aerosols will have the best effect. They not only relieve symptoms, but also eliminate infectious agents, since they may contain antibiotics that have a detrimental effect on bacteria and fungi. Consider how you can cure a sore throat, and what features this type of drugs have.
| Spray name | Active components | Peculiarities |
|---|---|---|
| "Tantum Verde" | The main active ingredient is benzydamine hydrochloride, an effective antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent. | Fights inflammation by acting on its mediators, relieves pain and eliminates microbes, is effective against the viral nature of infection, is suitable for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, is contraindicated in children under 3 years of age. |
| Ingalipt | The effectiveness of the drug is ensured by natural ingredients, such as oil from peppermint and eucalyptus leaves, as well as sulfanilamide, sulfathiazole and thymol. | It has a complex effect, is contraindicated during pregnancy, lactation and with personal intolerance to the components, it is prescribed as an independent antiseptic or an auxiliary agent in systemic therapy. |
| "Cameton" | Made from herbal ingredients such as levomenthol and eacalyptus leaf oil, it also contains camphor and chlobutanol. | It is a local anesthetic and disinfectant, gives a cooling effect and dulls pain, is indicated for adults and children from 5 years old. |
| "Stopangin" | It is made on the basis of hexetidine, it also contains natural essential oils of medicinal plants and levomenthol. | It helps to anesthetize the throat, since it contains an anesthetic in the composition, is a local antibiotic, is active against fungal and bacterial microflora, is contraindicated in children, pregnant and lactating mothers, and men and women should not be taken during the planning period for conception. |
| "Hexoral-spray" | The main active ingredient of the spray is hexetidine. | Active against bacterial and fungal microflora, gives a powerful effect when sore throat. Contraindicated in case of personal intolerance to the components, it is not prescribed for children who have not reached the age of three. |
| "Jox" | The active ingredients are allantoin, a natural antiseptic, and povidone iodine. | Helps relieve sore throat, inflammation and eliminate germs. It is prohibited for use by children under 6 years of age, women during pregnancy and breastfeeding, people with heart failure, hyperthyroidism, allergies to iodine and its derivatives. |
| "Lugol with glycerin" | The composition includes disinfecting components such as iodine and potassium iodine, glycerol has a softening effect. | Perfect for use if you do not know how to soften the throat, it is used as an antiseptic and local irritant, however, it has many side effects, therefore it is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating mothers, people with hypersensitivity to iodine and thyrotoxicosis. |
| "Aqualor" | Made from sea water rich in minerals, the healing effect of which is enhanced by extracts of Roman chamomile and eucalyptus. | Eliminates bacteria and microbes from mucous membranes, disinfects it, promotes regeneration of damaged tissues and their hydration, helps relieve sore throat when swallowing, eliminates puffiness, dryness and burning sensation. Contraindicated only in case of personal intolerance to the components. |
Lozenges, tablets and lollipops
If there is a sore throat, how to treat it, we think right away. Some of the most common remedies are lozenges, tablets, and lozenges. Most of them taste good, which makes them attractive not only for adults but also for children.
These drugs will help if you do not know how to relieve unpleasant symptoms, they act directly on the pharynx. Consider how you can treat patients and alleviate their condition.
| Name of funds | Active ingredients | Peculiarities |
|---|---|---|
| "Septolete" | It contains natural active ingredients such as eucalyptus oil, thymol, peppermint oil, and also contains non-nsalconium chloride. | A good antiseptic and anesthetic, effective if the throat hurts with pharyngitis, sore throat or viral inflammations, contraindicated for personal intolerance to the components, congenital fructose intolerance, lactose deficiency, galactosemia, isomaltase deficiency, glucose malabsorption syndrome. |
| "Faringosept" | Made on the basis of ambazon, a substance that actively fights against pathogenic microflora of bacterial and fungal origin. | It is a local antibiotic for regular use, each tablet has a cumulative effect, the required amount of active substance to suppress pathogenic microflora, accumulates on the 3rd day of therapy. The throat can be completely healed in 3-4 days. Not allowed for pregnant and lactating mothers, with personal intolerance to the components. |
| "Grammidin" | The active substance gramicidin provides cleansing of mucous membranes from microbes and bacteria, and lidocaine hydrochloride numbes the affected throat. | Antimicrobial and antiseptic agent, there is a version of it with an anesthetic, is contraindicated in case of personal intolerance to the components and during lactation. |
| "Strepsils" | It is made on the basis of 2, 4-dichlorobenzyl alcohol and amylmethacrysol, contains auxiliary substances that give the drug different tastes and aromas. | The combined antiseptic, is able to both anesthetize and soften the mucous membrane, eliminates the symptoms of a cold, helps to quickly cure the throat, is contraindicated in case of allergy to ingredients and children under 5 years old. |
| Strepfen | The active component of the drug is flurbiprofen, a substance that has a combined effect on the body. | Eliminates pain and inflammation, is not active against microbes, is contraindicated in pregnant women, is not prescribed for stomach ulcers in the acute stage, during breastfeeding, with hypersensitivity to the components of the drug. |
Summing up
The throat can get sore with infectious lesions of all kinds. To relieve unpleasant symptoms and eliminate the causative agents of inflammation themselves, various topical preparations can be used. They go directly to the site of the lesion, and begin there to fight against pathogens.
Medicines are available in different forms, it can be tablets, lozenges, aerosols, sprays, lozenges or gargles. Any remedy should be selected by a doctor, since they all have a different effect on the body and have a different composition. Consult with specialists before starting therapy and be careful about your health.
