HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21480, 23 July 1941, Page 3

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

TREATMENT OF SORE THROAT (Prepared and issued by the Health Department.) Do not treat a sore throat lightly. It might lead to all kinds of unpleasantness. Diptheria in children is one of its most fearsome complications. The first real danger signal with a sore throat is a rising temperature. As soon as a lever starts, make for bed without dciay. Keep warm. Direct application of warmth to the neck is very ccmfortinb, and a hot compress applied to the outside of the neck and covered by a large pad of cotton wool gives reilef. A hotwater bottle covered with flannel is excellent; and a warm olive oil compress is effective, too. As for the throat itself, the frequent application of a good throat paint is advised. Your chemist wui nave one. Gargles are frequently used, but they are not really satisfactory, iand, with a bad throat, they can cause more pain than tney do good. Ten grains of aspirin (an adult dose) uiree times a day will relieve the pain, and, in addition, there is a drug in aspirin that helps ward off any rheumatic fever that may result from a sore throat. The patient should drink as much fluid as possible, and naturally the state of the throat and difficulty in swallowing demand a diet of soft foods—junket, baked custard, ice cream, soups, meat jellies and so on. A sore throat is inflammation of tho tonsils, and is known as tonsillitis. If this inflammation leads to an abscess round the tonsil, quinsy is the result. And that can be very painful. An acute sore throat as a rule develops quickly. The temperature rises rapidly, and sometimes alaimingly; there are pains in the pack and iimbs; a headache comes on; the tonsils are swollen and inflamed, and may have turned septic; and the breath is unpleasant. In fact, the oatient is feeling pretty miserable. This condition is beyond ordinary home treatment. Call a doctor. He will know what is wrong, and his intervention at this juncture might prevent a whole lot of trouble. He can, if necessary, prescribe one of the new wonder-working sulphonamide drugs. Doctors themselves take a serious view of a sore throat. The important thing is not to neglect it, however slight, and if there is the least doubt at all, don’t hesitate to get medical advice.