Sore throat and flu: what to do?

Fever, which can exceed 38.5-39.0 ° C, headache, muscle soreness and bone pain, colds, cough. To these disorders is often added the inevitable sore throat, which can be present from the onset or appear later and create serious discomfort, in terms of inflammation, pain and swelling of the mucous membranes with consequent difficulty swallowing.

These are the classic symptoms of seasonal flu or another viral syndrome that closely resembles it and that, unlike the first, can appear even if you have been vaccinated.

When it happens, getting angry or depressed is useless: the illness will have to run its course and, if you are not elderly, you do not suffer from major chronic diseases and there are no additional risk factors, in a few days you will get back in shape without any difficulty. Here are some simple tips to not suffer more than you should while waiting for this to happen.

Practical measures in case of flu

What to do to feel better? First of all, stay at home, warm, and rest, preferably in bed, for a few days, without worrying too much about work, appointments made or daily tasks, which someone else can take care of or who will wait for better times.

Then, drink plenty of fluids, lukewarm or at room temperature, to replenish the water and mineral salts lost through sweat, and to moisturize the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat, inflamed and painful. In addition to water (to sip repeatedly even if you are not thirsty) are indicated:

• juices and fruit smoothies, possibly non-acidic so as not to further sensitize the throat)
• milk, also with the addition of honey
• vegetable, meat or chicken broths (recommended for a possible antiviral and soothing action observed in some studies)
• teas, herbal teas and herbal infusions with calming and emollient action (chamomile, mallow, erisimo, marshmallow etc.).

Nutrition is no less important to support healing. You should not strive to overeat if you are not hungry, but it is important not to stay fasting and try to favor healthy, nutritious, easy to digest and vitamin-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

If the sore throat is very strong and swallowing becomes painful, it is intuitive that you will have to orient yourself towards soft, fresh or lukewarm foods, which do not irritate the mucous membranes. For example, they are perfect soups, vegetable soups, smoothies, mashed potatoes, eggs, tender cheeses not too salty, meat or fish tartare etc.

The most specific help against symptoms

Although the flu “passes by itself”, to relieve the most severe symptoms, present in the first 3-4 days, you can resort to some over-the-counter drugs that can counteract fever, general malaise, inflammation and pain in the throat and respiratory symptoms effectively.

The most useful in this sense are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and acetylsalicylic acid, able to act on the entire spectrum of symptoms, while paracetamol has a mainly antifebrile and analgesic action, but not anti-inflammatory.

To obtain a quick benefit, it is sufficient to take the doses indicated on the packages of the individual preparations every 4-6 hours, depending on the type of drug, the discomforts present and individual sensitivity.

If the discomfort is concentrated in the throat, it is advisable to concentrate the anti-inflammatory action at this level, using products based on flurbiprofen, ketoprofen or naproxen, in tablets to be dissolved slowly in the mouth, without chewing, or in spray. Compared to antiseptics, another category of locally acting products that can be purchased in pharmacies to treat sore throats, anti-inflammatory products are characterized by a longer duration of action (up to six hours) and act directly on inflammation, that is, on the process that causes the annoying symptoms that we want to eliminate (pain, difficulty swallowing, swollen throat).

In case of isolated sore throat and associated with influenza, it should be remembered not to take antibiotics, unless the doctor prescribes them in the face of a strong suspicion of bacterial infection by streptococci or, better, after having ascertained the actual presence with specific tests (pharyngeal swab).

The flu and the vast majority of sore throats, in fact, are caused by viruses, against which antibiotics are completely useless: they do not help to alleviate symptoms or accelerate healing, while they can create additional problems immediately (weakening of the body, gastrointestinal disorders, candidiasis, etc.) and in perspective (development of antibiotic resistance).

Instead, you can combine local remedies for the throat (sprays, tablets to dissolve in the mouth) with remedies that, being absorbed, can also give relief from fever, headache, muscle pain, such as the aforementioned NSAIDs. In this case, however, it is necessary to be careful to separate the intake between one product and another for at least four hours.