Sore throats not only make your voice croaky and cracked, they also make it difficult to breathe comfortably, leave behind a burning sensation, and even make eating food an annoying task. In such cases, you may be tempted to take pills or medicinal fluids that will calm your throat down, but you might have noticed that they generally don’t work.

We’re here to walk you through the common causes of sore throats, why antibiotics aren’t the best solution, and what you should use instead.

It is important to treat a sore throat the moment you detect the slightest signs of irritation to prevent it from getting worse.

What Are Common Causes of a Sore Throat?

A sore throat basically feels itchy, scratchy, dry, and painful. It may be caused by:

• Allergies
• As a side effect of common colds
• Smog
• Throat injury
• Serious medical concerns like bacterial infections, tumors, etc.

Most sore throats just go away on their own over time. Some people gargle with warm, salty water for relief, while others drink warm, soothing liquids. Some even have ice cream to comfort the inflammation, and others just rest their throat and themselves until they feel better.

However, sometimes, your sore throat just hurts too much to let it heal on its own. In such cases, you need something to provide pain relief and speed up the healing process.

Why Antibiotics Won’t Cure Your Sore Throat

Sore throats, especially those that occur as the result of a cold, are generally caused by viruses. Antibiotics are designed to treat bacterial problems, and using them in the wrong situation can cause adverse effects like bowel and stomach discomfort, rashes, etc.

Over time, your body also becomes immune to these antibiotics to the extent that they won’t work, even if you’re treating a bacterial infection.

How Betadine Gargle Cures Your Sore Throat

Betadine Gargle has a number of active ingredients that comfort your sore throat and speed up the recovery process. The most active ingredient is povidone-iodine, which is scientifically proven to help with sore throats.

Povidone-iodine is a water-soluble polymer of iodine which has antiseptic properties. It is quite strong, but an excellent way to kill bacteria. A 30-second gargle can kill bacteria and improve your sore throat in just a couple of days.

Betadine Gargle also contains menthol (which has a natural cooling effect), which cools down and comforts an inflamed throat.

Another present ingredient is Glycerol, which coats the pharynx inside your mouth (the cavity behind your nose and your mouth) and lubricates it to reduce the friction between your tongue and the pharynx. This soothes inflammation and cough.

What Does Betadine Gargle Help with?

Betadine Gargle is useful for the following ailments:

• Viral, bacterial and fungal infections of the mouth or throat
• Mouth ulcers (canker sores)
• Oral thrush (kills the viruses, bacteria, and fungi that develop)
• Removing bacteria that cause bad breath.

How to Use Betadine Gargle

At the first sign of the slightest discomfort in your throat, you can start using a small, undiluted amount of the liquid to gargle. The spray may be used every 3-4 hours, but remember not to overdo it. The liquid shouldn’t be used more than 3 times a day. Combine it with an equal volume of warm water for the best results.

Make sure you suitably swish around the mixture in your mouth to allow it to reach all the mouth cavities and kill the bacteria.

Who is Betadine Suitable for?

Betadine Gargle is suitable for adults and children above the age of 6, but it should never be used by pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding, and those people who have a thyroid problem or a kidney problem

In case you have very broken skin, especially around your mouth, consult a doctor before using Betadine Gargle since this might cause your body to take in too much iodine, which can be toxic in large doses.

A Word of Caution

Betadine Gargle has a natural brown color, and while it doesn’t stain your teeth or skin, it may stain your clothes or jewelry. Therefore, you must remove all accessories before using Betadine Gargle and wash your clothes immediately after if you spill the solution. It also has the possibility of discoloring your braces and dentures so they should be removed before using the spray.

Betadine is safe if you accidentally swallow a little bit. If you swallow too much, you should consult a doctor immediately.

If your throat shows no signs of improvement after around 2 weeks, consult a doctor. If your throat reacts adversely to the iodine in the form of rashes, etc., consult a doctor.

How to Avoid Sore Throats

To avoid dealing with the pain of a sore throat entirely, you should be cautious about the following:

• Not sharing utensils with people who are sick
• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
• Washing your hands frequently with an anti-bacterial soap
• Practicing proper throat hygiene – using Betadine Gargle to rinse your mouth and to kill harmful germs
• Not touching other parts of your body if your hands are not washed and likely to be covered in germs.

Endnote

When used properly, Betadine Gargle can be quite effective in curing sore throats, reducing inflammation, and killing bacteria that accumulate in the lining of your throat. Even if your throat doesn’t instantly become better, it will start showing some signs of improvement after the first 30 seconds of gargling.

However, if you experience any kind of reaction, are taking prescribed medication, or have any confusion regarding the use of Betadine Gargle, you should speak to your pharmacist before buying it.