Is coke good for a sore throat

You can soothe a sore throat as follows: 

• Drink liquids, at least 64 ounces (8 cups or 2 liters) per day to stay hydrated, to thin mucus, and to keep your throat moist. It's very important to stay hydrated, even though it hurts. Drink water, tea (herbal or decaf), broth, soup, and non-caffeinated sports drinks e.g. Gatorade. Hot tea with lemon and honey can help.
• Gargle with warm salt-water. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of regular table salt in 8 ounces (240 ml) of warm water, gargle for a few seconds, spit it out, then repeat a few times. Do this three times a day. Wondering if gargling really works? Read this brief New York Times article about a research study on the effectiveness of gargling.
• To relieve pain and reduce inflammation, take ibuprofen (e.g. Motrin, Advil), acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) or generic versions of these medicines, following package directions.
• Keep your throat moist by using a vaporizer or sucking on throat lozenges, ice or popcicles. Some lozenges also help relieve pain. 
• Refrain from smoking. Smoking makes it hard to eliminate mucus and may predispose you to bronchitis or pneumonia. This would be a good time to consider quitting -- See Tobacco Cessation Help. If you choose not to quit, try not to smoke during your illness.

Call for advice if you have any of these:

• Difficulty swallowing that prevents you from eating or drinking, or if you are drooling and cannot swallow your saliva, you should seek medical care right away
• White or yellow spots in throat
• Pain that is persistent, severe or increasing
• Difficulty breathing
• A new rash or fever
• Signs of dehydration

For U-M students and other UHS patients, call for Nurse Advice by Phone, day or night. Calling may save you a trip. 

UHS can do rapid strep testing. Your throat and tonsils would be swabbed to collect a sample, which would be analyzed for strep (streptococcal) bacteria. Results would be available at your visit.

For currently enrolled U-M students on the Ann Arbor campus, there is no fee for phone advice, clinic visits or most laboratory tests.

For more information: 

• Colds and Flu - Treating with Medication
• I'm Sick! What Should I Do? Suggestions for Colds and Flu
• Protect others by practicing good prevention measures -- See Take Care of Yourself and Your Fellow Wolverines!
• How to Get Health Care at UHS - Appointments are required for clinic visits, and telehealth options are available
• Tips for Academic Success if You are Sick or Injured
• Strep Throat from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• The best drinks for a sore throat are soothing beverages like warm water with lemon and honey. 
• You should also try ginger tea, chamomile tea, or peppermint tea as herbal remedies to soothe your sore throat. 
• To relieve your sore throat and get key nutrients to boost your immune system, you may also want to try warm soup with chicken and vegetables, or a smoothie with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. 
• This article was medically reviewed by Jason R. McKnight, MD, MS, a family medicine physician and clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine. 

It can be difficult to get rid of a sore throat. However, drinking the right fluids may be all you need to relieve the scratchy, painful feeling. Here are some of the best drinks to soothe your sore throat: 

1. Sip warm water with lemon and honey 

Any warm beverage can help soothe a sore throat. "Hot water on its own is soothing and can help provide relief for sore throat, cough, and runny nose," says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian in the New York City area. 

Drinking warm lemon water may be especially useful when you have a sore throat due to an illness, as it can add a small extra dose of vitamin C to your diet. Vitamin C can boost your immune system and may even help you overcome colds. 

Adding honey to your lemon water may also treat a sore throat and cough. For example, a small 2017 study found that honey can help speed up the recovery of a sore throat due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. 

2. Try ginger tea 

Ginger tea may also help soothe a sore throat. In fact, a 2013 study indicated that a hot water extract of fresh ginger might help protect you from the respiratory syncytial virus — a highly infectious virus that commonly affects young children — though more robust human studies are still needed. 

"Drinking ginger tea can be beneficial if you're not feeling well," says Gorin. "There's some evidence to show that it can help soothe a sore throat and reduce congestion, but more research needs to be conducted." 

3. Drink chamomile tea 

If you're not a fan of ginger tea, you may want to opt for chamomile tea, which is made from dried Matricaria flowers. According to Amber Robins, MD, a board-certified family medicine doctor and lifestyle medicine strategist at Camillia Wellness in Maryland, chamomile tea can reduce inflammation in the throat. 

Plus, chamomile tea can promote relaxation and help you sleep, which can boost your immune system and help you better recover from illness. People who don't get an adequate amount of sleep may be more likely to get a common cold or other infections. 

"As with any warm beverage, your discomfort can be soothed as the steam helps with decongestion," says Taylor Schomaker, RDN, a registered dietitian and owner of Enlightened Nutrition LLC, a nutrition coaching practice based in Michigan. "Chamomile tea is naturally caffeine-free, and some research suggests that chamomile, itself, may help promote sleep and relaxation in the brain." 

4. Have peppermint tea

Peppermint tea is another warm beverage that people often turn to when trying to ease sore throat symptoms. This is because it contains spearmint, which has anti-inflammatory effects that can reduce swelling and soothe a sore throat. 

Plus, as with any hot beverage, Robins notes that inhaling the steam from peppermint tea can treat other symptoms like congestion. 

"Similar to steam from a vaporizer or shower, the steam from peppermint tea can help decrease nasal congestion," Robins says. "This gives you the feeling that you can breathe better." 

5. Eat warm soup

Chicken noodle soup is a classic home remedy for common illnesses, and it offers many of the same benefits as hot teas or warm lemon water. 

In fact, any kind of warm soup — especially one with healthy protein or vegetables — can be a great way to soothe your sore throat and get some key nutrients when you're feeling sick. 

"Broth-based soups are a great way to get a little nutrition into you when you don't feel like eating when you're sick," Gorin says. "I'd go with a soup that has additional ingredients, such as chicken breast, tofu, beans, or veggies." 

6. Make a smoothie 

When you're sick, you might experience a decreased appetite, says Schomaker. This can make it more difficult to get all the nutrients your body needs to fight off an illness. 

That's why a nutrient-packed smoothie makes a great option, as long as you use fruits and vegetables loaded with antioxidants — molecules that may boost our immune system. 

Some antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables to add to your smoothies include: 

• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Mangoes
• Kale
• Spinach 

The bottom line 

Sore throats are common, especially during cold and flu season. Therefore, finding ways to soothe your throat at home while providing your body with the nutrients it needs to fight an infection is important. Some great drink options for sore throats include hot tea or broth, warm water with lemon and honey, or antioxidant-rich smoothies.

Related articles from Health Reference:

• How to treat strep with antibiotics and home remedies
• 5 of the best home remedies for acid reflux
• 6 home remedies to relieve headaches naturally
• 8 science-backed home remedies to soothe coughing naturally
• Why are my feet always so cold? 8 medical conditions that may cause cold feet 

Ashley Lyles is a graduate of New York University's Science, Health & Environmental Reporting Program. She was the 2017 recipient of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation's Jason Kahn Fellowship in Medical Journalism. Her work has taken her to Honduras, Cambodia, France, and Ghana and has appeared in outlets like The New York Times Daily 360, PBS NewsHour, The Huffington Post, Undark, The Root, Psychology Today, TCTMD, and Tonicamong others.

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