Sore throat and blocked nose from air-conditioning on holiday

Air-conditioning dries the air, and dry air can irritate your nose and throat. This can leave your throat scratchy or your nose blocked. But air-conditioning does not give you a cold by itself: colds are caused by viruses. Most symptoms settle with fluids, saline sprays and simple pain relief, without antibiotics.

Why air-conditioning can make your throat sore

Air-conditioning units dry the air. Mayo Clinic explains that low humidity can bother the inside of the nose and the throat.

Changes in temperature or humidity can irritate the inside of your nose too. The NHS calls this non-allergic rhinitis. On holiday, that can mean walking from the hot sun into a cold lobby or bus. Smoke, alcohol and spicy food can also trigger it. It is not harmful, and you can usually treat it yourself.

Symptoms: dry air, a cold or an allergy?

• Dry air or temperature changes: a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, or a dry, sore throat.
• A cold: comes on over 2 to 3 days. Symptoms include a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat, a hoarse voice, a cough and tiredness. Some people also get a high temperature or aches. Most feel better within 1 to 2 weeks.
• Flu: starts quickly, within a few hours, and makes you too unwell to carry on as normal.
• An allergy: sneezing, an itchy nose and itchy, red, watery eyes, usually within minutes of contact with the trigger. Hay fever can last for weeks or months.

Itchy eyes and sneezing? Read our guide to allergies and insect bites in Sharm.

What helps

Drink plenty of fluids. Water helps prevent dehydration, especially in the Sharm heat. Alcohol and caffeine can make dehydration worse.

Soothe your throat. Adults can gargle with warm, salty water, then spit it out. A hot lemon and honey drink can help. So can cool or soft foods, ice lollies and hard sweets.

Moisten your nose. A saline or sea-water spray can moisten a dry nose and ease stuffiness. If you make your own salt-water rinse, use boiled water that has cooled. Never use water straight from the tap.

Breathe in steam. Sitting in the bathroom with a hot shower running can ease a blocked nose.

Ease pain and fever. Paracetamol or ibuprofen can help. Follow the leaflet. Ibuprofen is not suitable for everyone, for example people with asthma, a stomach ulcer, or heart, liver or kidney problems. Many cold and flu remedies already contain paracetamol, so check the label before adding a painkiller.

Rest, and avoid smoky places.

See a doctor if a sore throat is not better after a week, or cold symptoms after 10 days. Do the same if a high temperature lasts more than 3 days.

Antibiotics are usually not needed

Antibiotics do not work for viral infections such as colds, flu and most coughs. Most sore throats do not need them either. They will not ease your symptoms or speed up your recovery.

Antibiotics you do not need can cause side effects, and they may not work for you in future. Never use leftover antibiotics or someone else’s. If a doctor thinks you have a bacterial infection, they will decide on treatment.

What you can buy at the pharmacy

Products that can help:

• Saline and sea-water nasal sprays, such as Beegu, to moisten and rinse a dry, blocked nose. For babies, there are saline drops such as Otrivin Baby.
• Throat lozenges and sprays. Medicated lozenges may contain a local anaesthetic, an antiseptic or an anti-inflammatory medicine. There is little proof that anaesthetic sprays help on their own.
• Painkillers, such as paracetamol (Adol) or ibuprofen.
• Decongestant sprays, drops or tablets for a blocked nose. Use them only for a few days, as the leaflet says. Longer use can make your nose more blocked.
• Antihistamines, such as Claritine (loratadine), if an allergy is part of the problem. Ask our pharmacist first.

See our over-the-counter medicines, or ask us what is in stock today.

How to prevent it

• Keep your room cool, not cold. Avoid big jumps in temperature, and do not sleep in a direct draught.
• Drink regularly, and use a saline spray if your nose feels dry.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. Do not touch your eyes or nose with unwashed hands.
• Use tissues for coughs and sneezes, and bin them straight away. Do not share towels or cups with someone who has a cold.

Flying or diving with a blocked nose

A cold, a sinus infection or a stuffy nose makes ear pain more likely when you fly or dive. If you can, avoid flying with these symptoms. Yawn, swallow or chew gum during take-off and landing. Before any dive, read our guide to diving and your ears.

Children, pregnancy and older people

Babies and children. Saline drops can help a baby’s blocked nose. Do not give decongestants to children under 6, or aspirin to anyone under 16. Do not give honey to babies under 12 months. Children should not gargle with salt water or breathe steam from a bowl of hot water. Lozenges and hard sweets are a choking risk for children under 6. Some cough and cold medicines are not suitable for children, so ask our pharmacist before giving any medicine.

Pregnancy. Paracetamol is usually the preferred painkiller in pregnancy. Avoid ibuprofen unless a doctor or pharmacist advises it. Use a decongestant only if a healthcare professional tells you to, because its safety in pregnancy is not clear. Ask a pharmacist or doctor before taking any medicine.

Older people and long-term conditions. Do you have a long-term condition, such as diabetes or heart, lung or kidney disease? See a doctor if you get cold symptoms. Do the same if you have a weakened immune system. Decongestants may not suit people with high blood pressure, glaucoma, or heart, liver or kidney problems. Ask our pharmacist before adding a cold remedy to your regular medicines.

When to get urgent help

Need help in Sharm?

Our pharmacists speak English, Russian, Ukrainian and Italian, and can help you choose a saline spray, throat lozenges or pain relief. Message us on WhatsApp or call +20 120 344 2201. We have 5 pharmacies across Sharm El Sheikh, and we offer free hotel delivery on orders from $30. Registered medicines are sold at the official prices set in Egypt.