Most sore throats are caused by viral infections and clear up on their own within three to ten days. In the meantime, several simple treatments can meaningfully reduce your pain and help you get through the worst of it. Here’s what actually works.
Saltwater Gargle
This is one of the cheapest and most reliable options. Dissolve half a teaspoon of table salt in one cup of warm water, then gargle for 15 to 30 seconds and spit it out. The salt draws excess fluid from inflamed throat tissue, temporarily reducing swelling and easing pain. Repeat at least four times a day for two to three days.
Honey
Honey coats the throat and has mild antimicrobial properties. A systematic review in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine found that honey was significantly better than placebo at relieving upper respiratory symptoms in one well-designed trial of 300-plus patients. Results across studies were mixed, but the overall trend favored honey over doing nothing, particularly for cough and throat irritation.
Stir a tablespoon into warm water or tea, or take it straight off the spoon. One important exception: never give honey to children under one year old due to the risk of botulism.
Hot and Cold Drinks
Both warm and cold beverages help, but through different mechanisms. Cold liquids numb sore tissue and reduce swelling by narrowing blood vessels. Warm liquids relax throat muscles and improve blood flow to the area. A small study found that a hot drink relieved sore throat symptoms while the same drink at room temperature did not.
Choose whichever feels better to you. Warm broth, herbal tea, and ice water all count. Popsicles and ice chips work well too, especially for kids who resist drinking fluids. The key is staying hydrated. When your throat is inflamed, swallowing hurts, so people tend to drink less, which dries out the tissue and makes the pain worse.
Lozenges and Throat Sprays
Over-the-counter lozenges containing benzocaine work by numbing the surface of your throat on contact. The relief is temporary (usually 15 to 30 minutes) but can make eating and swallowing much more manageable. Menthol lozenges produce a cooling sensation that distracts from pain and can help open your airway slightly if you’re also congested.
Standard pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen also reduce throat pain effectively. Ibuprofen has the added benefit of lowering inflammation, which can help with the swelling that makes swallowing difficult.
Keep Your Air Moist
Dry air pulls moisture from your throat lining, intensifying soreness. If you’re running heat or air conditioning, a humidifier in your bedroom can make a noticeable difference overnight. The Mayo Clinic recommends keeping indoor humidity between 30% and 50%. Higher than that encourages mold and dust mites, which can irritate your throat further.
If you don’t have a humidifier, a hot shower before bed accomplishes something similar. Breathing in the steam loosens mucus and temporarily moistens inflamed tissue.
Demulcent Herbs
Slippery elm bark contains a soft fiber called mucilage that becomes gel-like when mixed with water, coating the throat with a soothing layer. It’s available as lozenges, teas, and powders. People have used it for throat pain for centuries, though there isn’t strong clinical evidence confirming it works beyond the mechanical coating effect. Marshmallow root operates the same way. Neither is likely to cause harm, and many people find the coating sensation comforting, so they’re worth trying if you prefer herbal options.
What a Sore Throat Doesn’t Need
Antibiotics do nothing for a viral sore throat, and most sore throats are viral. The CDC notes that viral pharyngitis typically comes with cough, a runny nose, hoarseness, or conjunctivitis. Strep throat, which does require antibiotics, usually lacks those symptoms. If you have a cough and runny nose along with your sore throat, you almost certainly have a virus, and the best course is symptom management while your immune system handles it.
Signs Your Sore Throat Needs Attention
Most sore throats resolve within a week. Contact a healthcare provider if yours lasts longer than that, or sooner if you experience any of the following:
- Severe throat pain that keeps getting worse rather than improving
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- A fever over 100.4°F (38°C)
- A visible bulge in the back of your throat
- Blood in your saliva or phlegm
- A rash anywhere on your body
These can signal strep throat, a peritonsillar abscess, or another condition that needs specific treatment beyond home remedies.