Cold or heat against a sore throat, which is better?

There are people for everything. When you feel the pinprick in your throat that heralds infection with a cold or flu virus, one person might drink a glass of ice water and another a hot tea. before such strategy differenceit is worth asking all the possible questions: is one more effective than the other? Is neither? Are they both?

It turns out that those two people could be doctors because both choices have a physiological justification.

Both cold and heat can be effective against a sore throat

The pain is not due to the direct action of the virus, but to substances –bradykin and prostaglandin E2– released by the immune system cells –macrophages– that are fighting against them. These substances stimulate nerve endings and produce pain.

How does the cold work?

Professor Ron Eccles, who was director of a specialist research center for the common cold at Cardiff University (United Kingdom), explains that cold can be a good treatment because it reduces the temperature of inflamed tissues and has a inhibitory effect on the transmission of pain signals from the nerve endings. This analgesic effect is related to the activation of the type 8 Melastin Transient Potential Receptor.

Therefore, applying cold, for example, eating an ice cream, when our throat hurts, is as logical as putting on an ice pack when we have just hit ourselves.

However, it might be a better idea to have a hot drink…

how heat works

Drinking in general promotes salivation and lubricates the throat. But if the drink is also hot, salivation is greater and the sensory impact of heat produces a comfort that makes pain less bothersome. This comfort is subjective, but may be related to an increase in endorphin levels –endogenous opioid substances– in the brain areas of pain.

Discover in this video why some people feel more pain than others.

And if the drink is sweet, the effect is even greater, as Professor Eccles has verified in studies with people.

So in the end the best remedy is a cup of hot tea with a little honey or syrup.

What else can be done to prevent and treat a cold?

Adults suffer between two and five common colds a year, and children between seven and ten. Although medicine has not found a way to eliminate viruses, the immune system knows how to do it and we can help you carry out its task successfully, which will prevent the appearance of complications.

echinacea It is an effective remedy to prevent colds and reduce the intensity of symptoms. Professor Ron Eccles has verified this in a study carried out with 750 patients. It should be taken as soon as the first symptoms are felt, up to five times a day, in the form of an infusion, in capsules or in tincture. As a preventive measure it is taken two or three times a day.Expose the face and arms to the sun at noon for a minimum of 15 minutes allows the skin to synthesize the vitamin D necessary for the proper functioning of the defenses. If you spend the day without seeing the sun, you can take a vitamin D3 supplement.Keep the nasal mucosa clean and hydrated Doing nasal washes with isotonic seawater nebulizers is another effective measure. If the indoor environment is too dry, we can resort to an ultrasonic humidifier, where we can dilute a few drops of eucalyptus or thyme essential oil, which have antiseptic properties.Rest, sleep and keep stress under control It is essential for the strength of the immune system. If you do come down with a cold, rest is especially important.And do not forget about hygienic habits: avoid touching door handles or elevator buttons with your bare fingers and, above all, touching your face and eyes afterwards. When you get home, wash your hands.

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