Hi there mums and dads!!
I was seriously planning on doing a post today about constipation… but I have run out of time!! I went on this wild-… well… I was GOING to say “wild-goose chase” for a particular ingredient for dinner, but instead I’ll say I went on a wild-rabbit chase for a particular ingredient for dinner – rabbit. But alas, to no avail. Tried 2 Woolies, 2 Coles, and 3 butchers and NO LUCK! AND it took me a fair chunk of the day too. I did manage to pick up some crocodile meat and some kangaroo fillets but no bunnies.
It’s my lovely mother in laws birthday this week and I wanted to make something special and a bit different… she doesn’t eat red meat though so it had to be white meat. And to be honest I’m a little sick of chicken. So I was going to experiment with a made-up rabbit stew today but too bad… no fresh rabbit. I was inspired by a member of a FB cooking group I am a part of who made braised rabbit and chestnuts. Gosh it looked amazing! BUT anyway, I am not meant to post about food on Mondays am I? Can’t help myself. I have a rabbit on order for Wednesday… if it works on the weekend I’ll food post about it next week 😉
So dinner is on the stove now (creamy chicken and mushroom pasta for the kids, and BBQ spice rubbed roo fillet on a crunchy Asian salad for the adults) and I’ve run out of time so I’ll have to post something a little less long and complicated today hence I thought I’d post about sore throats.
Sore throats are pretty common. You know that ache of the start of a sore throat when it begins and you groan as you realise what is coming right? In MOST cases (like, I think the literature quotes ~70% of the time), sore throats are caused by viruses and antibiotics don’t help. If there is a painful sore throat present in the ABSENCE of a cough or runny nose, then it is more likely the the cause is going to be bacterial (eg Streptococcus) and then antibiotics might be of use. You will need to see your GP and be examined to see if this is the case.
In adults, I have what I call the “Gold standard treatment” that my hubby (10.5 years together, 7 years married on the weekend) is so familiar with that he does it without asking me now, and tells his mates all about it too. 2 simple products I use together, but the key product is the first one:
- Betadine sore throat gargle (buy the concentrated version – it is more economical)
- Difflam sore throat spray (there are 2 strengths – both work well)
The Betadine gargle is a iodine based product that is an antiseptic – and is the only product on the market (that I am aware of) that is active against BOTH viruses and bacteria. Use it early enough in the piece and you will ward off your sore throat/upper respiratory tract infection all together. The Difflam throat spray has no anti-microbial ingredient but is really good at easing the pain of a sore throat. I hate using lozenges as they make your tongue and whole mouth numb – yuk.
For kids, unfortunately neither of these products are appropriate and lozenges are not only bad for teeth but for young kids they are a choking hazard.
Pain relief (analgesia) is arguably the one of the most important parts to managing kids’ sore throats. Paracetamol (eg Panadol, Dymadon) and/or ibuprofen (eg Nurofen) are both effective at easing the pain of a sore throat, but I feel (anecdotally) the latter is probably marginally better.
A big problem in kids with sore throats is the fact that they don’t want to swallow because it HURTS. They can get dehydrated, especially if their sore throat occurs in the context of a fever. It is important to encourage them to drink fluids – small amounts frequently is usually easier. Cool or slightly warm fluids and soft mushy foods can be easier and less painful to swallow for children. Oh, and don’t let them share eating utensils, meals or drink bottles!! Or they’ll all get it!
WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE:
- If the sore throat persists for longer than 48 hours (2 days),
- If your child is drinking poorly for longer than 24 hours (1 day)
- If your child is unwell or has other symptoms described below
- If your child has enlarging tender lumps in the neck.
- If your child has great difficulty swallowing.
- If your child has a new skin rash or bruising
- If your child has increased snoring when asleep (can indicate upper airway obstruction eg by swollen tonsils)
I hope this is of use to your whole family. Honestly – this is how I deal with sore throats in OUR family and it works.
I will TRY MY BEST to post on constipation next Monday!!
As always please SHARE SHARE SHARE the post on FB if you have found it helpful.
Stay well!
xxDr Megs
