If we use alcohol as disinfectant, why drinking it doesnt solve throat infection / sore throat?

Question

If we use alcohol as disinfectant, why drinking it doesnt solve throat infection / sore throat?

In: 5842

Answer 1

Alcohol is most effective as a disinfectant at 70%, 140 proof. You can drink that, but you can’t keep it on your mucus membranes like your throat without killing those cells too because alcohol isn’t just bactericidal, it destroys cells of all kinds.

You could cure yourself of infections by raising your blood alcohol content to 70%, but you would die long before you could get anywhere close to that high.