Most sore throats are caused by viral infections and clear up on their own within 3 to 10 days. In the meantime, several home remedies can meaningfully reduce pain, swelling, and irritation while your body fights off the infection. Here’s what actually works.
Salt Water Gargle
Gargling with warm salt water is one of the simplest and most effective ways to ease throat pain. Salt draws excess fluid out of inflamed tissue, which temporarily reduces swelling and flushes irritants from the back of your throat. Mix half a teaspoon of table salt into one cup of warm water, gargle for 15 to 30 seconds, and spit it out. You can repeat this several times a day as needed.
The relief is temporary, usually lasting 30 minutes to an hour, but the cumulative effect of gargling throughout the day keeps swelling in check. It costs almost nothing, has no side effects, and works well alongside other remedies.
Honey
Honey coats and soothes irritated throat tissue, and research suggests it may be more effective than over-the-counter cough suppressants, particularly for nighttime symptoms. A teaspoon or two swallowed straight does the job. You can also stir it into warm tea or warm water with lemon.
One important exception: never give honey to children under 1 year old. Honey can carry bacteria that cause infant botulism, a rare but serious illness.
Warm and Cold Liquids
Staying hydrated is critical when your throat is sore. Fluids keep the mucous membranes moist, thin out mucus, and prevent the dryness that makes swallowing feel worse. But the temperature of what you drink matters too, and the best choice depends on your symptoms.
Warm liquids like broth, tea, and soup help loosen mucus and soothe the back of the throat, which can reduce coughing. Cold liquids, ice chips, popsicles, and sorbet work better when your throat feels like it’s on fire, because the cold numbs inflamed nerve endings and reduces swelling. Try both and stick with whatever gives you the most relief. There’s no wrong answer here.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relief
If home remedies alone aren’t cutting it, acetaminophen and ibuprofen both work well for sore throat pain. Acetaminophen targets pain directly, while ibuprofen also reduces inflammation, which can be helpful when your throat is visibly swollen. Either one is a reasonable choice.
For acetaminophen, follow the label carefully. Regular-strength pills are 325 mg each, and extra-strength pills are 500 mg. The conservative daily maximum for adults is 3,000 mg to protect your liver. With ibuprofen, take it with food to avoid stomach irritation and follow the dosing interval on the package (typically every 4 to 6 hours). Check your other medications before taking either one. Cold and flu combination products often already contain acetaminophen, and doubling up without realizing it is a common mistake.
Humidity and Air Quality
Dry indoor air is a surprisingly common reason sore throats linger or feel worse than they should. Heated air in winter, air conditioning in summer, and ceiling fans at night all pull moisture from your throat while you sleep. The Mayo Clinic recommends keeping indoor humidity between 30% and 50%.
A cool-mist humidifier in your bedroom can make a noticeable difference overnight. If you don’t have a humidifier, placing a bowl of water near a heat source or spending a few minutes breathing the steam from a hot shower helps temporarily. Clean humidifiers regularly, though. A dirty water reservoir can spray mold and bacteria into the air and make things worse.
Throat-Coating Herbal Teas
Marshmallow root tea builds a protective, gel-like coating over irritated throat tissue, reducing both swelling and the raw, scratchy feeling that comes with constant swallowing. Slippery elm works through a similar mechanism. Both contain natural plant compounds called mucilages that become slippery when mixed with water, forming a physical barrier between your inflamed tissue and the air, food, and drink passing over it.
You can find marshmallow root as a loose tea, in tea bags, or in throat lozenges. Steep it in hot water for at least 10 minutes to fully release the coating compounds. Adding honey to the tea gives you two soothing effects at once.
What to Expect During Recovery
Most sore throats peak in severity around days 2 to 3, then gradually improve. The full timeline for a typical viral sore throat is 3 to 10 days. During this window, your goal with home remedies isn’t to cure the infection but to manage pain and keep yourself comfortable while your immune system does the work.
A few signs suggest something beyond a standard viral infection: a sore throat lasting longer than 10 days, a fever above 101°F that persists for more than a couple of days, difficulty breathing or swallowing liquids, visible white patches on the tonsils, or a rash. These can point to strep throat or another bacterial infection that needs a different approach. A sore throat that keeps coming back also warrants a closer look, even if each individual episode resolves on its own.