Acupuncture for Sore Throat

The most common time for individuals to get sick is during the second week of January. This is the time when parents start the new year’s work schedule and children return to school after the holiday season. Our bodies and minds are in harmony. Usually, when the mind is overwhelmed, the body is the one that takes the beating. Body aches, stuffy noses, sore throats, and even the flu are all typical symptoms of a mid-winter slump.

Individuals are usually highly likely to eat heavier foods during the winter. One of the reasons for this is that hearty and hot meals can be more appealing during cold weather. When the nights are long and the days short, people are less inclined to do more exercises and have more time invested for dining in and snacking. They tend to eat more meat during winter which is often served hot. These factors can result in the accumulation of more “heat” in the body.

Heat, according to the understanding of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) experts, can denote different things. However, basically defined, “heat” problem in TCM is an imbalance within the body related to inflammation, skin disorders or rashes, hyperactive stress and dryness. One ideal way to remove heat in the body is through exercise. However, during winter, people usually do not exercise regularly and are consuming more “heat laden” foods causing them to have too much heat in the body. This can lead to heat disorders such as sore throats. Sore throats are the result of pathogenic heat that has accumulated in the body.

Certain types of foods are recommended to help offset these winter eating tendencies. One such food is radish considered as a “cold” food” according to Chinese herbal medicine. Radishes can help decrease coughing, quench thirst, expel phlegm and enhance digestion. A white radish growing in certain parts of China has been termed “little ginseng” due to its healing abilities. Radishes are very nutritious foods, and are rich in calcium, vitamin C and vitamin A. They can help strengthen the immune system as well as soften the blood vessels, and improve nutrient absorption. They can likewise be used to stimulate appetite and cool blood.

To maximize the nutritional benefits of radish, eat it fresh and tossed with honey. Natural raw honey contains curative qualities and can help boost the immune system, improve stamina and replenish energy. It also has antibacterial properties. If you suffer from a sore throat, you can cut up raw ginger, boil it in water and add honey into the mixture to help relieve your throat condition.

Ginger has also antibacterial properties and can help fortify the abdomen, soothe a cough, and lessen inflammation in the body. The reason why ginger ale is recommended for a stomach ache is that ginger can help alleviate the inflammation and pain in the stomach. For a flu or sore throat symptoms, ginger can give you quick relief in a natural way and can heal swollen glands.

You may feel some warmth after consuming ginger. Ginger makes the blood vessels dilate and this speeds up blood circulation. The Chinese believe that after being soaked wet in a pouring rain, one should drink a large bowl of hot ginger tea to help him sweat and prevent him from catching a cold. If you manifest early signs and symptoms of a cold, such as cough or sore throat, drinking hot, ginger tea can help prevent its development.

Room temperature or warm water, rose hips, pears, apples, scallions, mint, or dandelions are some of the other cooling foods that can offset the heat that can cause sore throat. Pears can be quite effective in combating dryness in the body and are good for lessening congestion and for lung health. Consuming thin slices of sweet lemons along with the rind and with a pinch of salt as well as drinking pear juice are also great ways to balance heat in the body. Of course the best thing to remember is that prevention is the best medicine. Qi gong, tai chi and moderate exercise can help prevent the common cold. These activities strengthen the immune system and lower stress which can lead to physical imbalance.

 

Linda Lesperance is a licensed acupuncturist and the founder of The Lotus Center of Oriental Medicine in Boca Raton, FL.

Sore Throat Complications

Bad handling of sore throat or a rather severe sore throat can lead to unwanted complications that may warrant a visit to the doctor. Some of the complications of a sore throat can involve:

 

• Ear Infection – A sore throat can affect the ear in certain ways. Sore throat often is accompanied by ear pain. The doctor may recommend medications for the sore throat and the ear pain. Usually children and even some adults may develop infection of the middle ear when they suffer from sore throat.

 

• Acute Sinusitis – Sinusitis can cause a sore throat and the sore throat in turn can worsen your sinusitis condition. A severe sinusitis can cause malaise, tenderness in the face and a greenish fluid coming out of the nose.

 

• Tonsillitis – Tonsillitis and sore throat often go hand in hand and both manifestations together usually indicate throat infection. Sometimes tonsillitis can become so severe that the suffering person may require quick medical attention. The doctor often addresses this condition by antibiotics or by surgically removing the person’s tonsil.

 

Strep Throat Complications

 

This type of sore throat can take much longer to heal than the more common type of sore throat. A strep throat can cause a person to lose his appetite and to have fever. Strep throat can be treated by antibiotics and by drinking large amounts of liquids. Strep infections can consist of:

 

• Sinusitis
• Middle ear infection

 

Some lesser known complications of strep throat include:

 

• Toxic shock syndrome
• Peritonsillar abscess
• Neck lymph node infection
• Pharyngitis or retropharyngeal abscess

 

When the body reacts to strep throat infection, some complications may develop. For one, a slew of conditions like glomerulonephritis or kidney inflammation or rheumatic fever can occur when the immune system causes the body to attack healthy cells causing these aforementioned conditions. Another condition that affects children called PANDAS or pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections can develop with an unresolved strep throat infection.

 

• PANDAS – This is a term caused by scarlet fever or strep throat that can lead to problems like Tourette’s syndrome (a tic disorder) or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Glomerulonephritis – This can develop from step infection of the throat and skin. It often resolves by itself. There are no medications to remedy the inflammation of the kidneys although this problem gets better in time.
• Rheumatic fever – This is a rarity in strep throat infection although it does happen. Antibiotic therapy that starts a week after the start of the infection is needed to treat rheumatic fever

 

Scott Paglia is a licensed and board certified acupuncturist in Bellingham, WA and provides master level pulse diagnosis, Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture in Whatcom County, WA.

Sore Throat – Definition

Sore throat is defined as scratchiness, pain and/or discomfort in the throat.  This kind of problem makes it difficult for a person to swallow.

Everyday there are millions of people around the world getting sore throat. This condition is often at its worst in the morning when one wakes up and gradually subsides in discomfort as the day progresses.

A sore throat like a cold is often produced by viral infections and no antibiotics yet have been developed to effectively treat this condition. A lot of people see the development of a sore throat as the start of a cold. When the sinuses or nose is infected, mucosal fluids can go down the back of the throat where it eventually irritates the throat. Sore throat can also come about the due to infection of the throat itself.

Sore throats can have specific types. One type of virus called the Coxsackie virus can result in very painful throat blisters during the summer or fall season. The flu and mononucleosis can result in certain types of viral throat infections.

The most common cause of a sore throat is done by the streptococcus bacteria and this type of sore throat can sometimes result in a rheumatic fever. For this type of sore throat antibiotics can be effective. When a strep throat develops the sufferer experiences tender or swollen lymph nodes in the neck, draining patches in the throat and a high fever. Children with strep throat can experience stomach pain and headache. A strep throat can only be diagnosed from lab test results.

A patient with a typical cold will exhibit symptoms like cough, stuffy ears and a runny nose. A sore throat can develop when the person constantly breathes through his mouth. The climate that provides the highest risk for the development of sore throat is during winter when the air is dry. A lot of people wake up in the morning with sore throat that can easily disappear when they have something to drink.

Certain allergies like allergic rhinitis can bring about sore throat as well. When sore throat occurs, the surrounding areas of the throat as well as the tonsils are inflamed. Removing the tonsil is not a permanent way to prevent sore throat and is not advised for children.

Here are the different kinds of sore throat

Quinsy
Tonsillitis
Strep throat
Laryngitis
Pharyngitis

 

Dr. Guoen Wang is a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist and doctor of Chinese medicine in Austin Texas.

Causes of Sore Throat

Sore throat can come from or more of a number of causes. Some of these causes can include:

• Strep infection – If your physician suspects that you suffer from a strep throat, he may use a Q-tip to swab the back of your throat to test it for any strep infection.

• Cold – Cold can be caused by any of more than 200 types of viruses and some of them can cause a sore throat.

• Throat Cancer – The immune system is severely impaired by cancer and cancer of the throat can easily lead to a sore throat. This type of cancer usually affects people who smoke or drink alcohol. Some studies also indicate that human papillomavirus (HPV) can lead to neck, throat and head cancer. Early detection of cancer can make this disease be easily cured.

• Allergies/Air pollution – A sore throat is one of the likely side effects of an allergy. Allergies can often occur from things like animal dander, dust, mold, grass and pollen. Allergies are often treated by medications known as antihistamines.

• GERD – Also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or simply called acid reflux, this is a condition wherein acid coming from the stomach flows back into the esophagus and occasionally even to the throat causing irritation of the throat and esophagus. This condition usually happens in the morning after you wake up.

• Mononucleosis – Also known as mono for short. This disease often entails a really bad sore throat and inflamed tonsils. It spreads by saliva and cannot be resolved by antibiotics. Mononucleosis often takes about three months to heal by itself.

• Post nasal drip/sinusitis – A post nasal drip can is when drainage from a runny nose travels to the back of the throat rather than in the nostrils. This is caused allergy, infections and sinusitis among others.

• Intubation – Having a tube inserted into the mouth for a certain period of time can cause a sore throat. Certain surgeries like thyroidectomy or tonsillectomy can also cause you to develop sore throat.

• Respiratory diseases – H7N9, H1N1, influenza

• Pertussis or whooing cough

• Herpangina

• Excessive strain on the voice – The weakening of the voice and throat muscles can make them prone to infection which can lead to sore throat. Singers are prone to this condition

 

Harmony Wellness Center
110 N Orlando Ave
Maitland, FL 32751
(407) 234-6454
http://www.harmonywellnesscenter.com/