Consuming ice cream can ease throat pain; understand – 05/31/2023 – Equilibrium and Health

The case of a doctor fired after prescribing ice cream and video games to a child with a sore throat has raised an old question. After all, is it recommended to consume cold foods or liquids when you have a sore throat?

According to the City Hall of Osasco, a municipality in Greater São Paulo where the consultation took place, the doctor had informed him that the substance would be positive, since the ice cream would alleviate the irritation. The point is reiterated by experts and international agencies.

For example, the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA) informs that sucking ice cubes, popsicles and lozenges is a measure to reduce sore throat. The NHS, the UK’s public health service, also provides similar guidance.

As far as scientific research is concerned, an article published in 2020 examined the effect of cold steam and ice cubes on patients with sore throat and hoarseness after undergoing surgery.

One hundred and twenty people participated in the study and were equally divided into four groups: one that used the ice cubes, another exposed to cold steam, the third that accessed both interventions and the last, the placebo, that did not undergo any of the measures. analyzed in the study.

Hours later, the sore throat and hoarseness were analyzed. It was observed that the three groups submitted to the interventions, when compared with the placebo, showed an improvement in discomfort. Regarding hoarseness, no significant alterations were registered in any of the groups.

“Cold steam application, ice cube soaking, and ice cube soaking with cold steam application were effective in reducing sore throat, but were ineffective as a treatment for hoarseness,” the study authors write.

Luciano Gregório, otorhinolaryngologist at Hospital Albert Einstein, explains that, as there are studies in patients submitted to cold substances after surgeries, there may be a recommendation to “use cold foods to help with pain”.

But the same cannot be said for other types of sore throats, such as bacterial ones, as research into these cases is lacking. “There are no other studies that support its use in patients with sore throats due to infection, for example. So, really, it’s only in the postoperative period that I usually use it in the office.”

The explanations for why lower temperatures reduce throat irritation pervade the local inflammatory process. “Cold foods often reduce the factors that cause local inflammation, thus reducing this discomfort”, says Roberta Pilla, an otorhinolaryngologist who is a member of the Brazilian Association of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervico-Facial Surgery (ABORL-CCF).

Gregório also mentions the blood flow in the region. “The decrease in blood flow caused by low temperature can interrupt the signaling of the nerve that is innervating the region and that gives the sensation of pain.”

On the other hand, hot foods are not very welcome. Raquel Stucchi, infectologist and professor at Unicamp (State University of Campinas), indicates that these products can worsen the condition. “If I have a sore throat and I drink hot tea or soup, it will get worse.”

In any case, more serious cases of sore throat need to be evaluated by a professional. Pilla says that if the discomfort is associated with a very intense fever, problems swallowing or if the sore throat continues for days, it is best to seek a doctor.