Have A Happy And Healthy Holiday!

Many of us can relate to counting down the days to that much needed summer holiday, only to get there and feel under the weather. Latest consumer research from Strepsils shows that travelling to your holiday destination alone could contribute to suffering from a sore and irritated throat. This may be due to exposure to various environmental factors, such as air conditioning and temperature change.

What makes the perfect holiday differs from person to person but whether you’ll be relaxing on an idyllic Caribbean beach, discovering villages in South America, sampling delicious tapas in Barcelona or shopping in New York, one thing remains the same… ‘Season affected throat’, the symptomatic response to environmental changes in the summer months, may still be a risk to the full enjoyment of your holiday.

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Dr Rob Hicks, leading, independent GP, comments: ‘Exposure to air conditioning as well as temperature change alone can give you a sore/irritated throat as this can dry the respiratory tract and affect air quality triggering the production of inflammatory mediators – so when travelling or on holiday as you go from warm to cold environments, or travel in air conditioned spaces such as airports and airplanes, your throat may become sore.’

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With 1 in 4 people travelling more during the increased daylight hours of summer, feeling well and healthy is a key priority to enjoy a well-earned break. Over 1/4 of people surveyed reported they felt they had missed out last summer, and around 1 in 7 claimed to have lost the equivalent of a whole weekend with friends or family. What’s interesting is that people reported they are less likely to treat their sore throat in the summer than in the winter. Preferring to grin and bear it in the summer.

To give yourself the best chance of avoiding a Season Affected Throat when travelling, try these top tips:

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* Air conditioning removes moisture from the air increasing the likelihood of a dry, irritated throat.
* In addition to keeping hydrated and drinking plenty of water people should try putting a bowl of water near to you to help humidify the air when you canTry to avoid having air conditioning at a level when you are exposed to extreme temperature changes when you go from one place to the other
* Try to avoid irritants that can cause reddening and swelling - think cigarette smoke, pollution, shouting or even changes in air temperature (air con is not that 'cool' when it comes to throats...)
* Breathe in through your nose. Your nose is an excellent filter of bacteria and other harmful irritants and helps warm the air too
* Eat right - vital vitamins found in fruit and vegetables will help support your immune system
* Try to avoid other people's cigarette smoke if you find it irritates your throat
* Swallow regularly. Our saliva naturally helps cleanse the throat
* If necessary, take a medicated lozenge such as Strepsils

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www.strepsils.co.uk

If you think you have the gift of the gab, Strepsils are also looking for someone with star quality to be the voice of their summer radio campaign. See facebook.com/strepsils for all details and T&C's.

As part of their mission to make sure you enjoy your summer, Strepsils are also giving four lucky winners the chance to win £250 worth of entertainment vouchers to spend on summer fun of their choice.

To enter, visit www.strepsils.co.uk/win

www.strepsils.co.uk/win and answer this question: What does SAT stand for?

a) Season Affected Throat

b) Surf And Turf

c) Sex And The City

Terms and Conditions: Entry to the prize draw can only be made via . Participants must be 18 or over. Competition starts 25/05/11 & ends 02/09/11. No purchase necessary. No alternative prizes available. For full details go to Strepsils.co.uk/win

Strepsils Strawberry Sugar-free Lozenges for sore throats. Always read the label. SP-UK-40-11