Irritants like spices, condiments.

Forcible use of Voice,

Causing hoarseness.

Exposure to cold wind.

Inhalation of chemicals, fumes, dust particles.

Irritant oral applications.

Taking cold drinks and foods which are followed by hot ones.

Smoking or chewing tobacco.

There could be other contributory factors that could cause soreness in the throat.

Symptoms

Constant pain, especially while eating or drinking.

Slight fever.

Tendency to hawk, ham and suppressed voice.

Difficulty in swallowing.

Exertional effort to expel stuck up sputum when blood also may spurt out or appear independantly or may be tinged with sputum.

Pain and soreness around and in throat, neck and glands, with occasional pain in ears and cheeck bones and Uvula.

Ayurvedic Cure

Personal hygiene should be ensured as a first step. Extra citrous, bitter and astringent or those object which are likely and known causes should be guarded against. Gargles with luke warm / hot saline or alum mixed water is a known curative and preventive. Locally apply parched borax powder mixed with honey on the painful area. If swallowing of solid food creates any pain or aggravates it, switch on to liquid diet only, at least till soreness and pain disappear.

Speak only when it is almost necessary but, in any case, do not use voice forcibly. One gm of cinnamon boiled in a cupful of water may be taken (when reduced to 1/3rd quantity) 3-4 times daily or some honey may also be added to it.

Khadiradi Vati or Lavangadi Vati or Mrichadi Vati should be sucked slowly after an interval of 2-3 hours or as and when necessary. 50 mg parched borax powder, 300 mg of liqourice (Mulethi Powder), 100 gms Sitopladi Churna should be mixed with honey so as to make a paste which should be taken 34 times daily. Even the same paste may be applied localaly over painful area.

Fresh spinach leaves (say 100-200 gms) should be boiled and used as a gargle when the same turns lukewarm. If you drink this liquid, it will remove constipation also. Hamdard's Sualin can also be used as a lozenge. It is claimed that if a tablet is put in hot water and dissolved, it could prove an effective measure to contain swelling, pain etc in the throat. But, in any case, protect yourself from exposure to cold.

Sore throat can be easily prevented by suitable precautious. It can recur if restrictions are relaxed. Remember, chronicity of sore throat may lead to chronic hoarseness, deep-seated infection, septicaemia, or even total loss of voice (Aphonia) which is quite common in teachers, public speakers, orators, lawyers, clergymen (It is also called 'Clergyman's sore throat), chronic or juvenile smokers, old person's whose larynx often gets constricted and atrophied.