Throat Problems

[withnail]

Since I've lived in Thailand I find I suffer from throat problems a lot and quite a few times I have needed to take antibiotics. As I teach English I am speaking/shouting a lot and this makes things worse. The other night I went out with a friend and had a bit too much too drink and smoked a couple of cigarettes (I don't normally smoke, stupid I know) so of course my throat is bad again.

My question is does anyone else suffer this problem? Is there anything I can do to prevent it?

I don't think I ever had any throat infections when I lived in England!

[Liverish]

yes i get them them when in BKK.

its the pollution i guess

[haha]

I used to get sore throats all the time. then, one day while discussing my problem with some friends, one guy said to me that he used to have sore throats all the time too. ..he went to his doctor to ask what could be causing it.

the doctor told him to dry his ears after taking showers. or better yet, don't let water from the shower go into your ear.

so, not knowing what to expect, but hoping that my sore throats would stop, I followed his advice.

get this. ....I don't have sore throats anymore.

not being a doctor, I can't explain why it works. ..my guess is that the water has bacteria in it, and when it goes into your ear, it can work it's way into your throat via some ducts.

on another note.... somebody mentioned that they got pink eye somehow. and they speculated that it was due to some close up work during sex.

well, I once got pink eye really bad. so bad that I almost went blind. since I didn't have sex for a while at the time, I wondered what could have caused it. again I spoke to some friends about it. and one person asked if I had used the towels that they hang in the public restrooms here to dry my hands.

I replied yes. his reply is that many people get pink eye that way. the germs get passed via the towels. pink eye is contagious.

moral of the story - don't use any cloth towels that you might happen to see in the public restrooms to dry your hands. also, always wash your hands as soon as you can after taking a public bus. especially if it happens to be the 4 baht red bus.

regarding pollution.... being hypersensitive to smoke, whenever the pollution level is high here in bangkok, I can't sleep at night. I would constantly cough through the night. after suffering a couple of nights, I decided to see if there was some way I could alleviate my problem. I tried many simple things. and discovered that if I was steeping in a room that is above the 8th floor, I didn't cough. also, if I didn't clean the air filter in the air conditioner at least every 2 weeks, I also observed an increase in my coughing at night.

hope this helps someone...

[RDN]

Don't forget to ask your g/f (very nicely) to get a check-up, too. You know what I mean

[withnail]

That's interesting about the water in the ears, I do know that if I have a throat infection quite bad I also get that feeling that I can't unblock my ears.

RDN you might have to be a bit more specific but if you mean what I think you mean the g/f and I have been together 3 years so I don't think it's anything like that.

Although on a sexual note you might find this story quite amusing, on my first major visit to Thailand I spent a few months here then went to Australia. My throat had been flaring up and so I decided to wait until I got there so I could go and see a proper doctor. She takes one look in my mouth and says "Are you gay?" to which I replied "No". Then she says "Have you been performing oral sex on any strange men?" and I'm thinking see the answer from question 1

[Ijustwannateach]

Interesting about the shower water in the ears thing... I'll remember that one.

I had numerous throat infections (tonsillitis) last year; or rather, one which lasted practically all year- on and off over 7-8 months. There seems to be a really bad strain of it running through Bangkok the last year or so; lots of folks I knew who were dating anyone got it.

The problem is aggravated by the stupid medical system here- regular folks on the streets can get antibio, no problem, and don't take the right dose or take it long enough- and just generate more immune strains of the bacteria. Or, the stupid hospitals don't bother to test for the bacteria in your throat- IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE! For one main type of infection, the amoxicyllin (penicillin) family is called for, for the other one should use bactrim. The only hospital in the country I know that will test you is BNH. I credit 4-5 months of my illness last year to the incompetence of the hospitals.

One can avoid this type of problem by not dating anyone, but for single folks that's not a very attractive option. Better to catch it, get over it, and be immune to it- 'cause it's obvious that the antibiotic abuse is just going to make it stronger.

If your chronic cough or sore throats are not caused by infections (or the infections come later), you might want to see if you have allergies that you never had before or knew about before. There's certainly enough stuff floating around in the air here.

"Steven"

[RDN]

That's interesting about the water in the ears, I do know that if I have a throat infection quite bad I also get that feeling that I can't unblock my ears.

RDN you might have to be a bit more specific but if you mean what I think you mean the g/f and I have been together 3 years so I don't think it's anything like that.

Although on a sexual note you might find this story quite amusing, on my first major visit to Thailand I spent a few months here then went to Australia. My throat had been flaring up and so I decided to wait until I got there so I could go and see a proper doctor. She takes one look in my mouth and says "Are you gay?" to which I replied "No". Then she says "Have you been performing oral sex on any strange men?" and I'm thinking see the answer from question 1 

Perhaps she thought that you thought that "gay" meant "light-hearted, frolicsome, jolly, jovial, joyous" etc! So question number 2 was just to make sure that you really did understand that she wanted to know if you sucked cocks .

Anyway, back to my original point, I've been with my g/f for over a year and she sometimes has little infections which can give me a sore throat. In fact, if not treated with anti-biotics from the doctor (which is what happened twice) it can develop into a very bad ticklish cough, sore throat and wheezing chest.

And back even further to the "water in the ear" subject, I had an ear infection about a week after I started deliberately allowing shower water to enter my ear in an attempt to soften some ear wax. In the end, I had to go to a doctor for ear-drops, and to a hospital to remove the ear wax (by suction, would you believe! Not pleasant!). Now, I never let shower water go all the way in, and use toilet tissue pressed gently into each ear to remove any water immediately after showering. (This is also useful for removing soap bubbles that you've missed when rinsing - you can look a right <deleted> at the pub with soap bubbles lodged in your ear! )

[ProThaiExpat]

I have a forty year history of throat problems, all caused by sinuses.

Sinuses are very suseptable to getting infected, congested, or blocked by pollutants, moisture in the air changes, air-conditioning and of course colds, flu, etc.

My history has told me that my sinuses start to drain when I encounter humidity, usually near an ocean. I haven't been bothered by it in Thailand, despite all of our humidity, until I went to Phukett this weekend. Now I am in Chiangmai and I am experiencing headache and pressure feelings in my forehead, the sure sign of sinus involvement.

What happens is that the sinus drainage, which is normal, gets toxic to your throat, so that when you are sleeping, the drip starts the irritation in the throat.

My sinsus problems are usuall acompanied by headache or a feeling of pressure in my head. Either the ocean air or the closed airplane air with 300 germ emmiting humans recirculated has caused this episode.

When I lived in San Franciso, I lived on Sudafed, a very common decongestant. When I lived in Palm Springs with all the air borne pollen, I lived on an anit-allergent.

.

The few times I have had unexplained headaches in Thailand, I have taken actifed and after a couple of days the condition goes away.

If the congestion in the sinuses is not drained by a decongestant, and sometimes, even if you do, the congested sinuses get infected and then the antibiotics are required.

My throat problems, resulting from un-treaded post nasal drip, developed into pharangitis, infection of the pharanx, located behind the throat. Loss of speech, intense pain on swallowing, etc.

I would suggest that if you have headache accompaning or preceeding your throat problem, you start on de-congestants in hopes you sinuses don't get infected and that during the night, the post-nasal drip is not allowed to collect in your throat and cause it to get infected as well. During the day, I don't seem to have the problem, but at night, one side of my throat gets quite sore, gargling with salt water helps the discomfort.

This is the second day of the current bout, and with the amount of pressure increasing in my forehead, I know I am in for a major attack. It doesn't help that I had to go outside, from the airconditioning, to fix an emergency water problem.

I will start eating actifed until the headaches go away, gargle with salt water to alleviate what is now a mild sore throat on the left side, and if symptomes don't subside in three days, or if my sore throat makes swallowing painful, I will start on a broad spectrum antibiotic. I believe in a strong dose, I have been prescribed low doses of mild antibiotics by well meaning physicians who were worried about my system developing an immunity to the antibiotic, which only drew out the process and I suffered longer, often requiring massive doses of antibiotics to clear the full blown pharangitis. I don't listen to doctors about a condition I have sufferred from for 40 years and know how to cure.

Good luck with your throat, and if you have headaches, I strongly suggest you treat yourself for sinusitis.

[RDN]

I have a forty year history of throat problems, all caused by sinuses......

I'm probably "teaching granny to suck eggs" here (excuse the gender change, PTE), but I find a hottish bath or shower, maybe even soaking in the bath, clears the nose or at least gets everything soft enough so that a good blow afterwards, clears the nasal passages. Would this help you? Is this the same as "sinuses"?

I also find that I am now accustomed to humidity, and have a bad reaction to air-conditioning. The humidity - for me - seems to keep my nose clear . Anyway, sorry to hear about your chronic problem - best of luck!

[350torana]

The majority of sore throats are cold related. A cold is a virus so anti-biotics will no help as they are more for bacteria. The funny thing is i seem to get more colds here than in back home . So tired of trying to expain to Thias u don't "catch cold" from the rain or wet hair . Even most of the Dr's I have come across believe this old wive's tale

[RDN]

.... The funny thing is i seem to get more colds here than in back home...e

That's strange because I hardly ever get colds here. I can't recall whether you live here or just visit - if the latter, it may be that you catch something on the long-haul flight and it develops here. That has happened to me, but since I've lived here, I've only had one cold - if memory serves me right - when I took a plane to Koh Samui, and the holiday was nearly totally ruined - runny nose, coughing, no sleep, sweating, etc.

[taxexile]

Then she says "Have you been performing oral sex on any strange men?" 

who amongst us can honestly claim never ever to have sucked a Fishermans Friend ???

[BIG SPUDS]

Just got back from Los. Caught a mad fever kinda a thing that lasted 48 hrs, (Sweating but shiverring) after that was over, was left with a sore throat, which lasted 1 week in LOS 1 week back home, doctors verdict tonsilits. Had the earache for a week to go with it. Its amazing what you said.!!!!

[RDN]

Just got back from Los. Caught a mad fever kinda a thing that lasted 48 hrs, (Sweating but shiverring) after that was over, was left with a sore throat, which lasted 1 week in LOS 1 week back home, doctors verdict tonsilits. Had the earache for a week to go with it. Its amazing what you said.!!!!

So what were you sucking?

[BIG SPUDS]

Only parts of the GF!!

[RDN]

Only parts of the GF!!

Well done, that man!

[Roger13]

The majority of sore throats are cold related. A cold is a virus so anti-biotics will no help as they are more for bacteria.

But even a Sore Throat resulting from a Cold could be caused by Bacteria?

I have had several Sore Throats while in Bangkok.

Amoxycillin 500mg (available over the Counter in Boots)

cleared it the first few times

But the last time The Doctor prescribed

"Amoksikilav 2x" 1000mg and I have not suffered

with severe sore throat since then.

If I detect a Tickle, then gargling with

"very warm" salt water has prevented

it getting worse.

I would also recommend

"Strepsils PLUS" which have "2 Antiseptic Agents

and Anaesthetic for effective Pain Relief"

which I have also found to be effective in stopping

a Tickle from developing further.

Try to prevent inhaling Traffic Exhaust fumes

with a (moist if possible) handkerchief over nose & mouth.

Roger