Raw. Burning. Itchy. Sore throats may just be confined to one part of your body, but this condition could sometimes affect your entire body. You may even feel worse soon after if the sore throat is a “harbinger” of an impending cold. So aside from getting relief from the discomfort of a sore throat, remedying it now may help stop a cold from advancing. And throat lozenges may be a good remedy.
Do Throat Lozenges Heal?
Lozenges are medicated preparations, which contain sugar, gum, anesthetic or antiseptic. It’s meant to dissolve slowly in the mouth. It comes in soft, hard and chewable varieties. They’ll sometimes be labelled as “pastilles.”
Throat lozenges work in the same way as cough drops, which look like lozenges. Once you put them in your mouth, these lozenges release ingredients that help lubricate and soothe your itchy, burning throat. It also helps to hold back your cough.
But can you pop throat lozenges all the time?
What are the Side Effects of Throat Lozenges?
Sore throat lozenges are over-the-counter medication. But like every medicated preparation, it can’t be taken haphazardly. You can’t take too much and not expect some side effects, one of which could be menthol poisoning.
Although it will take bags and bags of lozenges for years to turn menthol consumption lethal, some people may experience minor effects, like these two, which are specific to Strepsils:
- Hypersensitivity
- Gastrointestinal disorders
When it comes to Cepacol lozenges, some people may experience:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Rashes
- Allergic reaction, as in swelling in the face or hand
- Fever
Other people may also be allergic to a few ingredients of the lozenges they’re taking. Some adverse effects to overdosage could be similar to taking too much cough drops.
So how much and when should you take lozenges to prevent adverse effects?
When Should You Take Throat Lozenges?
Take cough lozenges when your throat starts to itch, and you experience some pain. But before you pop one product, check the ingredients. You may be allergic to some of them.
Although lozenges look like candy, don’t bite them as you would a regular sweet treat. Never chew, bite or swallow it whole. Throat lozenges, like throat drops, must dissolve in your mouth. The liquid from the lozenge must be swallowed with your saliva, trickling down your throat and giving you some relief.
Most lozenge products are taken every two hours for about two days, which is typically how long a sore throat lasts. If you have a cough, it may last about six days. If both symptoms last for more than those days, make an appointment with a doctor to get a proper prescription. Ask your physician whether you should still take the cough lozenges along with your prescription medicine.
What are Good Throat Lozenges?
Drug stores and online shops provide several throat lozenges from different brands; most will come in the usual flavors of honey and lemon or menthol whereas others are made with more natural ingredients. Some sore throat remedies may even come in spray form, which is deemed as the strongest form of delivery. Chloraseptic, for instance, relieves and numbs the pain from a sore throat.
But if you prefer to take lozenges, what are some of your best options?
Burt’s Bees Kids Throat Soothing Pops
When your children get that itchy, scratchy throat and start to cough, Burt’s Bees throat pops may ease their discomfort. Since it looks like a lollipop and not medicine at all, they’re more likely to take it.
These throat pops are cherry-flavored and made with natural fruit pectin and 100 percent natural manuka honey to provide your little one with sore throat relief. It has no synthetic colors and is free of of the top eight food allergens, dairy and gluten and non-GMO ingredients.
Sucrets Throat and Cough Lozenges
This sore throat lozenges brand has been around for 75 years. It comes in tin packaging, so it’s as old school as it gets. But people have relied on Sucrets lozenges for decades. It contains an oral anesthetic and is formulated to suppress cough as well as soothe a sore throat.
Beekeepers Naturals B. Soothed Honey Cough Drops
If you love honey, Beekeepers Naturals is the ideal sore throat lozenge to take. It has c honey, vitamin D and zinc, which is a mineral said to be effective in stamping out cough.
Difflam Sore Throat Lozenges Sugar Free Honey & Lemon Antibacterial
Difflam’s sore throat lozenges contain Benzydamine hydrochloride, Cetylpyridinium chloride and Saccharin Sodium. They’re formulated to give pain relief from sore throat, tonsillitis and other inflammatory conditions in the mouth and throat.
Strepsils Cool Sensation
Probably one of the more popular throat lozenges in the market, Strepsils provides different formulations. This lozenge not only has a cooling effect, but it also help fight bacteria because it has two effective antiseptics.
A sore throat may not always be just an irritation and an inconvenience. Lozenges will help in the short term, but if your cold symptoms persist and worsen, get a checkup to get a proper treatment.
