A sore throat usually starts to feel better within a few days with the right home care. Most sore throats are caused by viral infections, dry air, or irritation, and there are several things you can do right now to reduce the pain and speed your recovery.
Gargle With Salt Water
A salt water gargle is one of the fastest, cheapest ways to ease throat pain. Salt draws excess fluid out of inflamed tissue, which temporarily reduces swelling and the raw feeling that comes with it. Mix about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of table salt into 8 ounces of warm water, take a mouthful, tilt your head back, and gargle for 15 to 30 seconds before spitting it out. You can repeat this several times throughout the day whenever the pain flares up.
The relief is temporary, usually lasting 30 minutes to an hour, but it’s safe to do as often as you need. Warm water dissolves the salt faster and feels more soothing than cold, though it doesn’t need to be hot.
Stay Hydrated With the Right Temperature
Keeping your throat moist is one of the most important things you can do when it hurts. Fluids prevent the mucous membranes from drying out, which makes irritation worse. Water, broth, herbal tea, and diluted juice all work. Warm liquids tend to feel the most soothing because they increase blood flow to the area without shocking inflamed tissue.
Avoid extremes. Very hot beverages can burn already sensitive tissue and potentially cause more damage. If you accidentally drink something too hot, the Cleveland Clinic recommends sipping room temperature water rather than reaching for ice water, which can also irritate the area. Cold foods like popsicles or ice chips can numb pain temporarily and are fine in moderation, but warm or room temperature fluids are your best baseline.
Throat Lozenges and Sprays
Over-the-counter throat lozenges work in two ways. Some contain a local anesthetic like benzocaine, which numbs the surface of your throat on contact. Benzocaine has minimal absorption into the rest of your body, so its effects stay focused on the area where you need relief. Other lozenges rely on menthol or pectin to create a cooling or coating sensation that distracts from pain.
Lozenges also force you to produce more saliva, which keeps the throat lubricated. That alone helps. If lozenges aren’t available, hard candy does roughly the same thing by stimulating saliva production. Throat sprays containing a numbing agent can reach areas farther back in the throat that lozenges miss, which is useful if swallowing is particularly painful.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
Ibuprofen and acetaminophen both reduce throat pain effectively, but they work differently. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory, so it tackles both the pain and the swelling in your throat tissue. Acetaminophen blocks pain signals but doesn’t reduce inflammation. For a sore throat with visible redness and swelling, ibuprofen tends to provide more complete relief. You can alternate the two if one alone isn’t enough, since they work through different pathways.
Adjust Your Indoor Air
Dry air pulls moisture from your throat lining, which makes soreness worse and slows healing. This is especially common in winter when heating systems run constantly. A humidifier in your bedroom can make a noticeable difference overnight. The Mayo Clinic recommends keeping indoor humidity between 30% and 50%. Below 30%, the air is dry enough to irritate your airways. Above 50%, you risk encouraging mold and dust mites, which can trigger their own throat irritation.
If you don’t have a humidifier, placing a bowl of water near a heat source or running a hot shower with the bathroom door open can temporarily raise humidity in a small space. Breathing through your nose rather than your mouth also helps, since your nasal passages warm and humidify air before it reaches your throat.
Honey and Warm Drinks
Honey coats the throat and has mild antibacterial properties. Stirring a tablespoon into warm tea or warm water creates a combination that soothes on contact and keeps the throat lubricated longer than water alone. Honey also suppresses coughing, which matters because repeated coughing irritates the throat further and delays healing. One important note: never give honey to children under one year old due to the risk of botulism.
Herbal Demulcents
Slippery elm and marshmallow root are two herbs commonly sold as throat soothers. Both contain a substance called mucilage, a gel-like compound that coats irritated tissue and creates a protective barrier. Slippery elm is available as lozenges, teas, and powders. The mucilage is responsible for its soothing, coating, and cough-suppressing properties, though rigorous human studies are still limited. If you find these helpful, they’re generally safe to use alongside other remedies.
What to Avoid While Your Throat Heals
Some common habits make a sore throat worse. Smoking or vaping directly irritates already inflamed tissue. Acidic foods like citrus juice and tomato-based sauces can sting. Crunchy or sharp-edged foods like chips and crackers scratch the throat on the way down. Alcohol dries out your mucous membranes. Whispering, surprisingly, strains your vocal cords more than speaking at a normal, low volume, so if you’re trying to rest your voice, quiet speech is better than a whisper.
After a Bacterial Infection
If your sore throat turns out to be strep or another bacterial infection and you’re prescribed antibiotics, replace your toothbrush within 24 hours of starting treatment. Bacteria can linger on the bristles and potentially reintroduce the infection. Store your toothbrush upright and away from other family members’ brushes while you’re sick.
Symptoms That Need Medical Attention
Most sore throats resolve on their own, but certain symptoms signal something more serious. The CDC recommends seeing a healthcare provider if you experience difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, blood in your saliva or phlegm, excessive drooling (particularly in young children), dehydration, joint swelling and pain, a rash, or symptoms that don’t improve within a few days or get worse. A sore throat accompanied by a high fever, swollen lymph nodes, and no cough is the classic pattern for strep, which requires antibiotics to prevent complications.