Most sore throats are caused by viral infections and will resolve on their own within five to seven days, but that doesn’t mean you have to sit through the pain. A combination of simple home remedies, the right over-the-counter options, and a few environmental adjustments can cut throat pain significantly while your body fights off the infection.
Saltwater Gargle
A saltwater gargle is one of the fastest ways to reduce throat pain with something you already have at home. Mix half a teaspoon of salt into one cup of warm water, take a mouthful, tilt your head back, and gargle for 15 to 30 seconds before spitting it out. The salt draws excess fluid out of swollen throat tissue through osmosis, which temporarily shrinks the inflammation causing your pain. You can repeat this every few hours throughout the day.
Cold Drinks, Warm Drinks, or Both
Cold and warm liquids help a sore throat in different ways, and you can use whichever feels better to you. Cold beverages numb the area, reduce swelling, and narrow blood vessels, which decreases inflammation. Ice chips and popsicles work the same way. Warm liquids relax the muscles around your throat and improve circulation to the area. A small study found that a hot drink relieved sore throat symptoms while the same drink at room temperature did not.
The key is staying hydrated regardless of temperature. A dry throat amplifies pain, and swallowing fluids keeps the tissue moist. Broth, warm water with lemon, and herbal teas all count. If you want an extra soothing effect, look for teas containing marshmallow root or slippery elm bark. Both contain mucilage, a substance that swells when mixed with liquid and coats the throat lining like a protective film.
Honey
Honey is more than a folk remedy. A Penn State study found that a small dose of buckwheat honey given before bedtime provided better relief of nighttime cough and sleep difficulty in children than dextromethorphan, the cough suppressant found in most over-the-counter cold medications. Dextromethorphan, notably, performed no better than no treatment at all. Honey’s thick consistency coats and soothes irritated tissue, and it has natural antibacterial properties. Stir a tablespoon into warm tea or take it straight. One important exception: honey is not safe for children under 12 months old due to the risk of botulism.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
If home remedies aren’t enough, a standard pain reliever can make a real difference. Acetaminophen works well for sore throats by reducing pain signals. Ibuprofen is another option, with the added benefit of lowering inflammation directly. Both are effective, so choose based on what you tolerate well. The recommended maximum daily dose for adults is 3,000 milligrams for acetaminophen and 2,400 milligrams for ibuprofen. Spacing doses evenly throughout the day keeps pain relief more consistent than waiting until the pain returns.
Throat Lozenges and Sprays
Lozenges work through two main mechanisms. Some contain local anesthetics like benzocaine or lidocaine, which numb the throat tissue directly. These provide noticeable relief but can also numb your tongue and affect taste, which some people find unpleasant. Others contain antiseptic ingredients that kill bacteria on contact and appear to have some pain-relieving action of their own beyond their antimicrobial effect.
Menthol lozenges are a middle ground. Menthol has mild local anesthetic properties that ease throat pain, plus a cooling sensation that feels soothing. Even basic hard candy or cough drops help by stimulating saliva production, which keeps the throat moist and reduces irritation from dryness.
Fix Your Indoor Air
Dry air is one of the most overlooked causes of lingering throat pain. Heated indoor air in winter, air conditioning in summer, and sleeping with your mouth open can all dry out your throat lining and make inflammation worse. The Mayo Clinic recommends keeping indoor humidity between 30% and 50%. A simple cool-mist humidifier in your bedroom can make a noticeable difference overnight, which is when throat pain tends to feel worst. If you don’t have a humidifier, running a hot shower and breathing in the steam for several minutes provides temporary relief.
When a Sore Throat Needs More Than Home Care
Most sore throats are viral, meaning antibiotics won’t help. But about 5% to 15% of adult sore throats and up to 30% in children are caused by group A streptococcus, the bacteria behind strep throat. Strep typically comes on suddenly with severe pain when swallowing, a fever, swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck, and white patches or redness at the back of the throat, usually without the cough, runny nose, or hoarseness that accompany a cold.
Current clinical guidelines recommend that doctors use a scoring system based on physical symptoms to decide who should be tested for strep. If your symptoms match the pattern above, a rapid strep test can confirm the diagnosis in minutes. Testing is especially important if someone in your household has been diagnosed with strep, if you have a history of rheumatic fever, or if you develop signs of a more serious infection like a severe one-sided sore throat, difficulty opening your mouth, or a spreading rash resembling scarlet fever.
A sore throat lasting longer than a week, or one that keeps getting worse after the first few days rather than gradually improving, is also worth getting checked. The same goes for throat pain accompanied by difficulty breathing, drooling because swallowing is too painful, or a muffled “hot potato” voice, all of which can signal a deeper infection that needs prompt treatment.