Sore throat

What can I do when I have a sore throat?

Roger has read a comic, two chapters of a book, and the newspaper. He has also played a video-game, a kitchen game, and hidden his grandmother’s false teeth. He has been drawing and painting and cutting. Nevertheless, Roger still has a sore throat. He can’t stand it any more!

When someone has a sore throat, the main thing is to be patient. In a few days, it will go away. There is nothing that can cure a sore throat, but there are remedies that help to soothe the discomfort:

	Drinking hot liquids mixed with honey.
	Gargling several times a day with warm water mixed with salt or bicarbonate of soda.
	In some cases, eating ice-cream.
	Licking hard sweets (they are refreshing and help to make saliva). But you must be very careful when eating sweets, as there is the risk of them getting stuck in your throat.
	Using some sort of gadget that humidifies and cools the air (especially when you breathe with your mouth open).
	And you already know that you can ask the chemist anything you like. He or she can give you advice about remedies and medicines that help to calm the pain and feeling of discomfort.

Do you know how to gargle?
Roger explains to us how to gargle:

	Put some liquid into your mouth, but do not swallow it.
	Tilt your head backwards a little bit.
	Breathe the air out of your lungs, like when it is cold and the breath you expel turns white. The liquid that you have in the back of your mouth will start to move and you will make a gurgling sound.
	Move the liquid in your mouth for a few seconds, and then spit it out into the washbasin. Do not drink it.

You have to be very careful the first few times, because you can choke. Little by little, with practice, you will find that gargling is very easy.