Most sore throats are caused by viral infections and will resolve on their own within three to ten days. In the meantime, a combination of pain relievers, simple home remedies, and a few environmental adjustments can make a real difference in how you feel hour to hour.
Start With a Pain Reliever
Over-the-counter pain medications are the fastest way to take the edge off. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) both reduce sore throat pain effectively within the first 24 hours. Research published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine found no evidence that NSAIDs work better than acetaminophen alone for throat pain, and NSAIDs carry more potential side effects like stomach irritation. So acetaminophen is a reasonable first choice for most people. If your throat is noticeably swollen, ibuprofen has the added benefit of reducing inflammation, which acetaminophen does not do.
Gargle With Salt Water
A salt water gargle is one of the oldest sore throat remedies, and it works through a straightforward mechanism: the salt draws fluid away from swollen tissue in your throat, temporarily reducing inflammation and pain. Mix half a teaspoon of table salt into one cup (8 ounces) of warm water, gargle for 15 to 30 seconds, and spit it out. You can repeat this several times a day. It won’t cure anything, but many people notice immediate, short-term relief.
Use Throat Lozenges Strategically
Lozenges that contain numbing agents like benzocaine or menthol provide localized pain relief by temporarily dulling the nerve endings in your throat. You dissolve one slowly in your mouth and can repeat every two hours as needed. Even plain hard candy or ice chips can help by keeping saliva flowing, which coats and soothes irritated tissue. The relief from lozenges is temporary, usually lasting 20 to 30 minutes, but stacking them throughout the day keeps discomfort more manageable.
Try Honey and Warm Liquids
Honey has genuine evidence behind it. A systematic review in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine found that honey performed about as well as the common cough suppressant dextromethorphan for reducing cough frequency and severity, and it outperformed some antihistamine-based treatments. A spoonful of honey on its own coats the throat and provides temporary relief. Stirring it into warm tea amplifies the effect.
Herbal teas made with ingredients like slippery elm, marshmallow root, or licorice root contain compounds called mucilages that form a slippery, gel-like coating over irritated tissue. This creates a physical barrier that can ease the raw, scratchy feeling. Warm (not hot) broth, water, or diluted juice also helps by keeping your throat moist and preventing the dehydration that makes soreness worse. One important note: never give honey to children under one year old due to the risk of botulism.
Adjust Your Environment
Dry air is one of the most overlooked causes of prolonged throat pain, especially overnight. You wake up and your throat feels worse than it did when you went to bed because hours of breathing dry air pulled moisture from already-irritated tissue. A humidifier in your bedroom can help. Aim for indoor humidity between 30% and 50%. Higher than that encourages mold growth, which creates its own problems.
If you don’t have a humidifier, a hot shower before bed achieves a similar short-term effect. Breathing the steam loosens mucus and temporarily adds moisture to your throat. Sleeping with your head slightly elevated can also reduce the postnasal drip that aggravates nighttime throat pain.
Avoid Foods That Make It Worse
What you eat and drink matters more than you might expect when your throat is inflamed. Certain foods physically irritate raw tissue and can set back your comfort significantly. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recommends avoiding:
- Acidic foods and juices like orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, tomato, and pineapple
- Spicy foods that trigger additional inflammation
- Hard or crunchy foods like dry toast, crackers, and chips
- Very hot foods or drinks that can further irritate swollen tissue
- Carbonated beverages and alcohol
Stick with soft, cool, or lukewarm foods instead. Yogurt, smoothies, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and soup (cooled slightly) are all easy on a sore throat. Popsicles and ice cream can feel especially soothing because the cold temporarily numbs the area.
How Long a Sore Throat Typically Lasts
Most sore throats are acute viral pharyngitis. They peak in intensity around days two and three, then gradually improve. Viral infections usually clear up within a week, though some linger up to ten days. If your sore throat hasn’t improved at all after a week, that’s a reasonable point to check in with a healthcare provider, since it may point to a bacterial infection like strep or another condition that needs specific treatment.
Strep throat is the most common bacterial cause, and no combination of home remedies will clear it. Certain patterns make strep more likely: fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, white patches or pus on the tonsils, and the absence of a cough. No single symptom is reliable enough to diagnose strep on its own, so a rapid test or throat culture is needed to confirm it.
Signs That Need Immediate Attention
Rarely, a sore throat signals something more serious. Epiglottitis is an emergency condition where the tissue covering the windpipe swells and can block your airway. Warning signs include difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, drooling, a muffled or hoarse voice, and a high-pitched sound when breathing in. In children, watch for drooling, anxious or irritable behavior, and leaning forward to breathe. If you or your child develops any combination of these symptoms, call emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department immediately.