Does ice cold drink cause sore throat?

Is there any scientific evidence that drinking ice cold drinks and ice cream causes sore throat?

Is this yet-another-grandma-myth or a fact?

One of my favorite little girl who is a well known singer who once told me, she frequently indulge in having her share of ice cream and cold soft drinks and always end up with sore throat and loss of voice. I warned her several times not to drink cold drinks, then she found a way out by eating ice cream and having hot salt water gargle immediately after wards, and she did not have any more throat problems. It\’s like eating “hot ice cream”…

While I can say there is no hard evidence from any scientific study data regarding this issue. I can tell you the only way you catch a cold or sore throat from drinking cold liquids is by sudden change in the temperature in the throat, may make the dormant viruses more active.

Certainly some cold drinks such as orange juice or carbonated drinks would irritate a throat that may be mildly infected with a virus or bacteria, making a sore throat more painful.

Same scientific principle can be applied in using steam inhalation when you get flu; the steam makes the dormant virus inactive. Steam is soothening and liquefies the mucus in the nose and sinus; one can add thulasi leaves or menthol which will helps to get rid of the mucus.