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Pharyngitis
Almost always viral and self-healing — antibiotics help only in the rarer bacterial cases.
Also known as: throat pain · pharyngitis · tonsillitis
Open in the tool — with search and all the links →This compilation is for information and replaces neither medical diagnosis nor treatment. If you have symptoms, see a doctor.
Sore throat is one of the most common everyday complaints — and almost always harmless. The great majority is caused by viruses (colds, flu) and heals on its own within a few days. Antibiotics don’t help here, as they have no effect against viruses. A bacterial tonsillitis (streptococcus) is rarer; typical signs are high fever, white spots on the tonsils, swollen neck lymph nodes and the absence of cough — this may warrant a medical check and sometimes an antibiotic. Usually, though, rest, warmth and fluids are enough. Worth knowing: in rare cases there are warning signs where help should be sought quickly — above all when breathing or swallowing one’s own saliva becomes difficult.
Warm drinks, tea with honey, plenty of fluids and resting the voice — this soothes and supports healing.
Lozenges, salt-water gargles and moister room air can calm the irritated throat.
With strong/high fever, pus on the tonsils, severe one-sided pain, or if it doesn’t improve after ~1 week.
They don’t work against viruses — useful only with a confirmed bacterial cause. The doctor decides.
Half a teaspoon of salt in 250 ml of warm water, gargle for 30 seconds, spit out, three to four times a day.
Let a teaspoon of honey dissolve slowly in the mouth, especially before bed with a cough; do not drink afterwards.
Dampen a cloth to hand warmth, lay it around the neck, cover with a dry cloth, leave for 20 to 30 minutes, twice a day.
Of a hundred sore throats, about seventy to eighty are viral. Untreated it lasts three to seven days. With streptococci an antibiotic shortens the course by about a day. Four signs point to bacteria: fever above thirty-eight degrees, coating on the tonsils, swollen neck nodes and absence of cough — the more of them together, the more a test is worth doing.
An antibiotic works only against bacteria and even there shortens the sore throat by about a day — the real reason for prescribing lies in the rare sequels of streptococci. In the seven to eight viral cases out of ten it changes nothing and disturbs the person’s own flora for weeks. What reliably eases it: lozenges with a local anaesthetic, anti-inflammatory painkillers, cold. Honey has been tested in children over one against night cough.
Cold and flu viruses are the most common cause — improvement usually within days, without antibiotics.
High fever, white spots on tonsils, swollen neck nodes AND no cough → get it checked.
Dry heated air, a lot of talking/singing, reflux or allergies can irritate the throat.
Shortness of breath, drooling/unable to swallow saliva, severe one-sided swelling or barely able to open the mouth → emergency / 144.
Sore throat with rash, high fever and a stiff neck needs prompt medical assessment.
May be raised in bacterial tonsillitis; often only mildly in viral infection.
Fever, sweating and faster breathing clearly raise the need. Drinking enough keeps the mucus thin and the circulation steady — in children and older people it is the most important point of all.
With low levels airway infections occur somewhat more often; correcting a deficiency makes sense, a high single dose during the infection does not act on it.
Needed by the defence cells. For lozenges at the start of a cold there are hints of a slightly shortened duration; at a high dose over months zinc lowers copper.
Antibodies and defence cells are protein. After several days with little appetite it is worth at least keeping the protein up — soup with egg, quark, yoghurt, lentils.
Studied as a spray or gargle for a sore throat; the relief is short and gets repeated. Taken internally in large amounts over weeks it is not intended, because of the thujone.
As a spray, traditional use and small studies. Anyone allergic to bee products leaves it — that is the one real catch.
The lozenge works locally and has to dissolve slowly — swallowed it does nothing. 75 mg a day for at most a week is the studied frame.
Clearly worthwhile and well studied when deficient; fewer data for the wider uses. Fat-soluble — check blood levels at high doses.
Throat pain that sits at the front of the neck, hurts on swallowing and on turning the head and pulls towards the ear can come from the thyroid. Fever and a high inflammation value without coating on the tonsils are the pattern.
With very severe pain on swallowing a single dose of cortisone can noticeably ease things for one to two days. It does not treat the cause — it bridges.
Cool numbs, warm relaxes. Which one helps varies; there is no reason to avoid either. What matters is that drinking happens at all.
Traditionally used for sore throat; avoid with allergy to bee products.
For gargling, strongly diluted — one drop to a glass of water, and spat out afterwards. Sage essential oil is not meant to be swallowed.
The mild chemotype: linalool instead of thymol. As an inhalation or in a throat compress blend; the sharp thymol type irritates the lining further.
The best-known point of all, between thumb and index finger. In pregnancy it is traditionally avoided — an effect on the womb is attributed to it.
At the wrist, assigned to the Lung meridian. One of the classic points for throat and pharynx.