Treating sore throat in summer with Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The throat is the crossroads between the digestive and respiratory tracts, serving as the gateway for air, food, and drink. Therefore, it is a very convenient entry point for foreign elements, viruses, and bacteria to enter the body and cause illness.

In summer, hot and humid weather, coupled with lifestyle and eating habits, can easily damage the throat lining. These include frequent cold showers, eating ice cream, drinking iced water, consuming cold foods, improper use of air conditioning, large temperature differences between air-conditioned rooms and the outside environment, direct fan airflow to the throat, sweat soaking into the body causing a cold, exposure to chemicals in pool water causing sore throat, and especially sleeping with the air conditioner set too low, leading to dry throat inflammation… all of which can cause a sore throat.

Symptoms of a sore throat.

1. Common types of sore throat

According to Dr. Nguyen Quang Duong, Head of the Oncology Department at Tue Tinh Hospital, pharyngitis has many forms, including:

- Acute pharyngitisThis disease can affect both adults and children, usually starting suddenly and causing acute inflammation of the entire mucous membrane of the throat. Patients often cough, experience painful swallowing, and may have a high fever of 39-40 degrees Celsius, especially children.

- Chronic pharyngitis includes:

+ Chronic pharyngitis with simple congestion: Examination of the throat reveals red mucous membrane with many prominent blood capillaries.

+ Chronic exudative pharyngitis: The pharyngeal mucosa is also red and congested, but with increased secretion and slightly adherent to the mucosa.

+ Chronic hypertrophic pharyngitis: The pharyngeal mucosa is red and thickened. The lymphatic tissue on the posterior pharyngeal wall is overgrown, forming irregular clusters of varying sizes, pink or red in color. Sometimes it concentrates into a raised band at the back and along the posterior pillar of the tonsils, resembling a second posterior pillar called a "false pillar," also known as granular pharyngitis.

+ Atrophic pharyngitis: The pharyngeal mucosa gradually atrophies, causing it to become pale, dry, and form thin, yellow, dry scales that adhere in clusters. The posterior pillars also atrophy and disappear, making the throat appear wider. Atrophic pharyngitis is often occupational or occurs in the elderly.

Terminalia chebula - a remedy for sore throats in the summer.

A sore throat is characterized by swelling and pain in the pharynx, a constant itching sensation in the throat, and a tendency to cough or spit. If pathogenic factors invade the bloodstream, it can cause fever or excessive phlegm production. More severe cases involve a painful, constricted throat, difficulty eating and swallowing, inflamed and swollen throat, a red uvula, and heat accumulation causing the tongue to turn red or pale pink.

The throat is the gateway to the lungs, a passage through which many meridians pass, playing a vital role in protecting the lungs from invading allergens. When the throat is invaded by external pathogens, a conflict arises between vital energy and pathogenic factors, causing fever, sore throat, and swelling…

According to traditional medicine, pharyngitis is caused by exposure to external wind pathogens combined with internal phlegm and heat. Chronic pharyngitis is caused by prolonged phlegm and heat damaging the lung qi...

Pressing the Danzhong acupoint helps treat sore throat.

2. Traditional Chinese Medicine methods for treating sore throat

According to Dr. Nguyen Quang Duong, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) uses methods to treat pharyngitis such as dispelling wind, clearing heat, resolving phlegm, and nourishing yin to generate fluids.

Medication approach:

- For acute pharyngitisWith symptoms including a red, dry, and sore throat, slightly swollen throat mucosa, along with fever and headache: The treatment method is to dispel wind, clear heat, and resolve phlegm.

- For chronic pharyngitisWith symptoms such as dry throat, discomfort, and pale red congested spots on the pharyngeal mucosa with scattered lymphoid granules (granular pharyngitis): The treatment method is to nourish lung yin and resolve phlegm. The "Er Chen Tang" formula can be used to treat chronic pharyngitis with excessive phlegm…

Alternatively, pharyngitis can be classified according to its cause, such as pharyngitis due to deficiency of vital energy, treated with the modified "Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang" formula, or pharyngitis due to spleen deficiency and liver stagnation, treated with a combination of "Gui Pi Tang" and "Xiao Yao San" formulas...

Some herbs that can improve sore throat symptoms include Rhizoma Coptidis, Terminalia chebula, mulberry, mint, Platycodon grandiflorus, Citrus reticulata peel, and lemon balm…

Some medicinal dishes that are good for people with sore throats include burdock root powder, watermelon juice, watermelon rind decoction, steamed pears with honey, and green bananas with salt and pepper...

Non-drug measures:

Besides medication, non-medicinal methods such as massage and acupressure, and the use of foods that are beneficial for sore throats, can be quite effective in supporting the treatment of sore throats.

Watermelon juice helps relieve sore throats.

Stimulating certain acupoints that affect the throat can help reduce inflammation and swelling of the throat mucosa, such as Lieque, Daling, Danzhong, Taiyuan, Chize, Fengchi, Dachui, Fenglong, Kunlun, etc. Use your finger to massage and press the acupoint for 2 minutes until you feel a tingling sensation.

Certain foods can also alleviate sore throat symptoms and vice versa. Generally, soft, nutritious foods are good for sore throats. Patients should eat dishes like porridge and soups such as pork porridge, beef porridge, chicken soup, chicken broth, and vegetable stock.

Vegetable and fruit smoothies are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, helping to replenish nutrients and boost immunity for patients who are fatigued due to illness or fever. Smoothies are also easy to swallow and are very suitable for sore throats.

Conversely, people with sore throats should avoid eating dry, hard foods, solid foods, spicy foods, cold foods, ice, alcohol, beer, cigarettes, and pipe tobacco.

3. Preventing sore throat in summer

Dr. Nguyen Quang Duong advises on preventing sore throats in the summer as follows:

- Hot weather often causes thirst, leading to increased water intake. However, if the water is too cold, the temperature difference can irritate the mucous membranes of the throat and larynx, causing inflammation. Therefore, when consuming food, be careful not to let it get too cold, especially for those with allergies.

- In summer, it's important to keep your neck warm when using air conditioning set below 26 degrees Celsius. If air conditioners aren't cleaned regularly, it creates a favorable environment for fungi to grow and spread into the indoor air. When the throat lining is weakened, the fungi can cause pharyngitis (sore throat).

- Summer is the dry, hot season, making it easy for dust and dirt to spread into the air over large areas. Therefore, proper personal protective equipment should be used when working in environments contaminated with dust or chemicals.

- You should wear a mask when going outside. Strengthen your body's resistance by avoiding staying up late, maintaining a balanced, complete, and reasonable diet, and engaging in appropriate physical activity...