# Carbonation vs Sore Throat: Hurts So Good! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 26, 2013, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbonation-vs-sore-throat-hurts-so-good/648403 "2013-01-26T03:50:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbonation-vs-sore-throat-hurts-so-good/648403/1 "2013-01-26T03:50:23Z")
I’ve got some kind of sinus thing happening which is causing two areas in the back of my throat to be very swollen and painful. Tonight despite the agony of swallowing, I just had this really stubbor craving for a carbonated beverage of some kind. The craving was strong enough for me to go ahead and try it. I knew it would hurt. I knew it would be a disaster, that the pain would only be compounded. But dammit I wanted a Dr. Pepper. And here’s the weird thing. It does hurt. The carbonation totally multiplies the sting factor. But _I like it_. It is weirdly _soothing_ despite being painful. I can’t explain this. In fact the act of swallowing this beverage causes a pain in the back of my throat that shoots up seemingly through my neck and into my ear.\* _And I don’t mind in the least._ The pain is good. What the heck? Is there precedent for this? Or am I just being odd here? \*Don’t worry, I’m fine and I’m getting better. I’ll go see a Dr. (other than Pepper) if it starts getting worse I promise. It’s so wonderful that you care so much. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbonation-vs-sore-throat-hurts-so-good/648403/2 "2013-01-26T04:33:36Z")
Bubbles massaging the throat as it goes down? Sort of a bicarb effect? Otherwise, I got nothin’. ---
**Author:** ![Snerky\_Snerk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Snerky\_Snerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snerky_Snerk)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbonation-vs-sore-throat-hurts-so-good/648403/3 "2013-01-26T05:35:39Z")
Many years ago, I think I once heard [Dr Karl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Kruszelnicki) talking about carbonated drinks on one of his radio shows. I think that he said that the carbon dioxide gas triggers pain receptors in the mouth and throat. It is the sudden burst of pain signals, and the almost as sudden relief, that makes people like drinking soda. If that is true, then I could guess that the soda induced pain signals could be swamping the sore throat pain signals. All your pain receptors are suddenly overloaded, and your brain is getting confused. It hurts, but it hurts good? Could it be like scratching an itch? Scratching an itch feels good because you are swamping the itch signal in a burst of scratch noise? \*This is all a WAG. I have no cites. Please feel free to correct me on any errors. ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbonation-vs-sore-throat-hurts-so-good/648403/4 "2013-01-26T17:30:38Z")
I drink seltzer whenever I have a sore or scratchy throat. It eases the pain for me. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbonation-vs-sore-throat-hurts-so-good/648403/5 "2013-01-26T18:08:05Z")
Yeah I drink carbonated drinks when I have a sore throat too. It’s almost like a massage. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbonation-vs-sore-throat-hurts-so-good/648403/6 "2013-01-26T18:39:07Z")
I drink sodas to ease my sore throat, too. Guess it’s kinda like massaging sore muscles–hurts and relieves at the same time! ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_I\_Am](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Sam\_I\_Am](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_I_Am)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbonation-vs-sore-throat-hurts-so-good/648403/7 "2013-01-26T18:50:11Z")
Sometimes it really does hurt so good. Mini wheats are good for scratching an itch at the back of the throat fwiw. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbonation-vs-sore-throat-hurts-so-good/648403/8 "2013-01-26T19:21:57Z")
I’m another who is drawn to carbonation if my throat hurts, especially that sinusy type of sore throat. IT BURRRRRNS. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbonation-vs-sore-throat-hurts-so-good/648403/9 "2013-01-26T19:25:11Z")
I have a cold (and related sore throat) right now, and am drinking some Rock Star as we speak. Yup, hurts so good. I like to think of it as the bubbles rooting out the evil germs in the throat tissues. BTW, Tobasco works in a similar way. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbonation-vs-sore-throat-hurts-so-good/648403/10 "2013-01-26T20:38:27Z")
A deep salt water gargle is good for a sore throat. Don’t swallow though. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbonation-vs-sore-throat-hurts-so-good/648403/11 "2013-01-27T20:56:56Z")
Damn…I read this as ‘Castration vs Sore Throat’. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbonation-vs-sore-throat-hurts-so-good/648403/12 "2013-01-27T22:03:04Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > A deep salt water gargle is good for a sore throat. Don’t swallow though. Just need to put it through a Sodastream for extra benefit. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sodalite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@Sodalite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sodalite)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbonation-vs-sore-throat-hurts-so-good/648403/13 "2013-01-28T07:00:28Z")
> [@Snerky\_Snerk](#): > > Many years ago, I think I once heard [Dr Karl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Kruszelnicki) talking about carbonated drinks on one of his radio shows. I think that he said that the carbon dioxide gas triggers pain receptors in the mouth and throat. It is the sudden burst of pain signals, and the almost as sudden relief, that makes people like drinking soda. If that is true, then I could guess that the soda induced pain signals could be swamping the sore throat pain signals. All your pain receptors are suddenly overloaded, and your brain is getting confused. It hurts, but it hurts good? > > Could it be like scratching an itch? Scratching an itch feels good because you are swamping the itch signal in a burst of scratch noise? > > \*This is all a WAG. I have no cites. Please feel free to correct me on any errors. I’ve always thought of it as being like scratching an itch. If I have a sore throat I’m more likely to leave the ice out of my soda. Full Power!