Preventing throat infection, cough/cold in North Indian conditions

I used to get frequent throat infection, till I finally got the right advice. Sharing the same here...

1. The quantity of virus matters. In cold, dry air, viruses travel farther. In short, you are exposed to more of them.
2. Dryness reduces mucus production and thickens it. So more pathogens can enter your body.
3. Cold weather and dryness impact the immune system negatively. Example: reduced blood flow lowers the immune response.
4. Low sun exposure -> low vitamin D.

What happens in a throat infection exactly?

I am no specialist, so take everything with a spoonful of salt.

The itchy / scratchy / painful feeling at the back of the throat is "inflammation". It happens due to:

1. Infection: viral or bacterial.
2. Irritation: several causes, such as indigestion causing stomach acid to irritate the throat (acidity). It weakens the immune system, which can lead to a throat infection.

To protect itself, the body produces lots of mucus. Your body isn't perfect and doesn't really know when to stop. So if you have too much of it, the immune system is trying really hard.

Prevention

Go to an ENT (ear nose throat specialist)

If you are getting frequent throat infections, go to someone who specializes in this. An ENT.

Find the root cause of your problem, don't just chase medicine

In my case, the root cause was indigestion. It caused bile buildup, which irritated and inflamed the throat. At this point it wasn't a throat infection. But it weakened my immune system, making me susceptible to viral / bacterial throat infections.

Keep your body ready

Observe: do you feel any dryness? Is your throat getting dry? When the season is about to change, the following should help.

1. Drink more fluids, humidify the air. Humidifying is more helpful than you realise.
2. Strengthen the immune system. Take supplements: vitamin D, vitamin C. Daily 500mg vitamin C should be okay.
3. Occasional gargles. But do them properly. See below.
4. Explore ayurveda: ashwagandha, ginger, tulsi, brahmi.

Managing infection

1. Keep sipping liquids. Luke warm. This is key. Don't let your throat become dry.
2. Don't let yourself become cold. Cold weakens immunity. So if you have an infection or are about to get one, make sure you are not getting cold.
3. Manage the inflammation. Take anti-inflammatory medicines, ask your chemist for these.
4. Rest.
5. Ayurveda and home remedies for managing inflammation.
6. Gargles. Doing gargles properly is the key, several times a day.

Gargles the right way

1. Lukewarm water. Mildly warm. It must NOT be too hot, or it will increase the inflammation.
2. Salt or betadine. Apparently helps fight the infection. Quantity should not be too little or too much. About 1/4 spoon.
3. Do it gently. Don't force removal of mucus, otherwise it will irritate the throat more and cause more inflammation.
4. Several times a day.