Throat inflammation can make eating and drinking feel like a hassle, sometimes even ruining your appetite. But in order to relieve your sore throat and allow it to heal, you need to give your body the nutrients that it needs. While food for sore throat may not cure your infection, it will definitely set you on a quick road to recovery.
Knowing exactly what to eat and drink can help relieve your sore throat and make the pain fade away. And this doesn’t just include drinking plenty of water and hot soup. In fact, you can even afford to treat yourself to some ice cream!
With throat inflammation, a simple hack is to consume food that is easy to swallow, while getting as much nutrients as possible.
Before we go over some of our recommendations that may help take some of the pain out of eating and drinking, let’s briefly talk about the signs of throat inflammation.
What are the symptoms of throat inflammation?
Throat inflammation, also known as a sore throat, typically makes it painful to swallow, and sometimes to speak.
Some tell-tale symptoms of throat inflammation include:
- Pain in the throat
- Pain when swallowing
- Scratchiness of the throat
- Dryness of the throat
- Feeling of rawness in the throat
- Burning of the throat
Depending on whether you’re having a viral or bacterial infection, your throat inflammation may also be accompanied by some other symptoms.
Find out if your sore throat is caused by a viral or bacterial infection here.
Accompanying symptoms include:
- Coughing
- Nasal congestion
- Fever
- Chills
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
- Body aches
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
If you have any of these accompanying symptoms, it’s best to see a doctor.
Food for sore throat: What works?
In general, food that is soft and high in nutrients is good for sore throats. They should not be too hot, so that your throat inflammation doesn’t get worse.
Warm tea
Warm tea can offer you some comfort. Tea is high in antioxidants, which can help fight illnesses and viral infections such as colds.
The immunity boost you get from drinking tea will also stimulate faster healing and alleviate your discomfort.
In addition, different types of teas have their own unique advantages. For instance, chamomile tea has anti-inflammatory compounds, which may reduce your throat inflammation and help you sleep better. Turmeric tea also has similar properties, and has the added benefit of antiseptic properties.
Honey, which provides relief for sore throats, is the perfect companion to a cup of warm tea.
Honey
A tablespoon or two of honey with a cup of warm water or tea is an effective sore-throat remedy.
Its hearty properties also make it an effective cough suppressant.
And if you love honey, you can also drink it for a quick mood boost. With numerous varieties of honey to choose from, just go by a simple rule of thumb: the less processed it is, the better it is for your sore throat.
Hot soup
It’s also good to load up on something that’s easy to swallow and replenishes your body like an actual meal would. When paired with the right ingredients, hot soup provides a soothing, hydrating and nutritious option.
It’s best to stay away from soups that are salty, spicy or have rough-textured ingredients. Avoid ingredients that are acidic, such as tomatoes, as they may irritate your throat further.
Bananas
If you’re looking for food that requires less prep work, consider eating a banana. Bananas are soft, nutritious fruits that are easy to swallow and gentle on your throat.
Mixing them with some oats or berries will give you a tasty concoction and cool your throat. Plus, they contain Vitamin B, which is an energy booster, and Vitamin C to help your body fight infections.
Yoghurt
Yoghurt is another superfood that’s light on both your stomach and your throat. Apart from being very easy to swallow, it can also help alleviate the pain caused by an inflamed throat.
In addition, it’s packed with probiotics, which help support a healthy gut and immune system.
Smoothies
Another great non-processed food option that’s good for your throat is smoothies! As long as you keep it simple, smoothies require little thought in making, beyond mixing the fruits and vegetables.
As much as smoothies are refreshing and easy on your throat, you may want to cut back on the dairy, as it may increase mucus production and irritate your throat further.
Oats
If you just can’t muster the appetite for fruits and vegetables right now, stick to basics and opt for grains.
Oats are easy to swallow and packed with nutrients such as fibre and antioxidants.
Scrambled eggs
Who doesn’t love eggs?
Well, not even a sore throat can stop you from having eggs! Scrambled eggs are a great food to have when you’re having a sore throat because they’re warm, tasty and easy to swallow.
If you’re making scrambled eggs, make sure not to season them too much, as salt can worsen your throat inflammation.
Ice cream and popsicles
Sore throats are the best excuse for a cold treat like ice cream and popsicles, but only in moderation!
However, you should avoid them if you have a cough.
Learn more on what else you can do besides eating these foods to relieve your sore throat.
Food for sore throat not working? When to see a doctor
Most of the time, sore throats don’t indicate anything serious. If you’ve been diligently eating these foods to relieve your sore throat but it still hasn’t subsided, you may need to see a doctor.
More specifically, you should see a doctor if your throat inflammation is still present after three to seven days without medication.
You should also visit a doctor if you, or a child that you’re caring for, display the following symptoms:
| For Adults | For Children |
| – Sore throat causes serious discomfort – Sore throat persists for more than a week – Presence of high fever – Presence of rash – Swelling of area near the neck – Swelling of area below the ears – Difficulty breathing – Difficulty swallowing | – Difficulty breathing – Difficulty swallowing – Increased drooling – Temperature of 38.5ºC or higher – Swelling of area near the neck – Swelling of area below the ears – Not willing to drink or eat – Muffled voice – Stiff neck or difficulty opening mouth |
Need to see a doctor for your sore throat?
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