Most sore throats are caused by viral infections and will clear up on their own within three to ten days. In the meantime, several home remedies and over-the-counter options can make a real difference in how you feel. Here’s what actually works, what to skip, and when a sore throat needs medical attention.
Why Your Throat Hurts
Viruses cause the vast majority of sore throats. The same bugs behind colds and flu inflame the tissue lining your throat, triggering pain, scratchiness, and difficulty swallowing. Strep throat, the most common bacterial cause, accounts for 20 to 30% of sore throats in children and 5 to 15% in adults.
One useful clue: bacterial sore throats like strep typically show up without a runny nose, cough, or red eyes. If you have those symptoms alongside your sore throat, a virus is the more likely culprit. Strep tends to come on suddenly with fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, and sometimes white patches on the tonsils.
Salt Water Gargle
A salt water gargle is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do right now. Mix about a quarter to a half teaspoon of table salt into eight ounces of warm water and gargle for 15 to 30 seconds. The salt draws excess water out of the swollen tissue in your throat, reducing inflammation. It also creates a temporary barrier that helps block irritants from reaching the raw tissue underneath. You can repeat this several times a day as needed.
Honey for Pain and Cough
Honey coats and soothes an irritated throat, and the evidence behind it is surprisingly strong. A systematic review published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine found that honey outperformed a common antihistamine-based cough medicine for reducing cough frequency, cough severity, and overall symptom scores. It performed about as well as the active ingredient found in many OTC cough suppressants.
You can take a spoonful of honey straight, stir it into warm water, or add it to tea. One important exception: never give honey to children under one year old due to the risk of botulism.
Keep Your Throat Moist
Dry air pulls moisture from already inflamed throat tissue, making the pain worse. If you’re running a heater or live in a dry climate, a humidifier can help. 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.
Beyond humidity, staying hydrated matters. Warm liquids like broth, tea, or plain warm water feel particularly soothing because they increase blood flow to the throat tissue. Cold options work too. Ice chips and popsicles can temporarily numb the area and provide relief, especially for kids who resist drinking fluids.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relief
When home remedies aren’t cutting it, standard pain relievers can significantly reduce throat pain. Both acetaminophen and ibuprofen work well for sore throats. Acetaminophen targets pain signals directly, while ibuprofen also reduces inflammation. Either is a reasonable choice, and you can alternate between them if one alone isn’t providing enough relief. Follow the dosing instructions on the package, and for children, dose by weight rather than age when possible.
Throat lozenges and sprays containing menthol or phenol offer temporary numbing. However, be cautious with products containing benzocaine. The FDA has warned that benzocaine can cause a rare but life-threatening condition that reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. Products containing benzocaine should not be used in children under two years old, and adults should use them sparingly.
Herbal Options
Marshmallow root and slippery elm bark both contain a substance called mucilage, a gel-like compound that swells when mixed with liquid and coats irritated membranes. You’ll find these in many throat-specific teas and lozenges. They won’t speed up healing, but the coating effect can make swallowing more comfortable. Licorice root tea is another traditional option, though people with high blood pressure should avoid it since certain compounds in licorice can raise blood pressure with regular use.
When a Sore Throat Needs Medical Attention
Most sore throats resolve without any medical treatment. Viral sore throats typically improve within three to ten days. If you do have strep, antibiotics usually require a ten-day course and you’ll start feeling better within a day or two of starting them.
However, some symptoms signal something more serious. Seek medical care if you or your child experience difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, blood in your saliva or phlegm, excessive drooling (particularly in young children), signs of dehydration, joint swelling and pain, a rash, or symptoms that aren’t improving after several days. A sore throat that keeps getting worse rather than gradually improving deserves a closer look, especially if it’s accompanied by a high fever or pain on only one side of the throat.
If strep is suspected, a quick swab test at your doctor’s office can confirm it in minutes. Treating strep with antibiotics isn’t just about feeling better faster. It prevents rare but serious complications that can affect the heart and kidneys.