Most sore throats are caused by viral infections and will clear up on their own within about a week. In the meantime, several simple remedies can meaningfully reduce the pain and make that week more bearable. Here’s what actually works.
Salt Water Gargle
Gargling with warm salt water is one of the oldest and most reliable ways to ease throat pain. The salt draws excess fluid out of inflamed tissue, temporarily reducing swelling and the raw feeling that comes with it. Dissolve half a teaspoon of table salt in a glass of lukewarm water, gargle for 15 to 30 seconds, and spit it out. You can repeat this every few hours throughout the day. It won’t cure the infection causing your sore throat, but most people notice the soreness drops noticeably for a stretch afterward.
Honey for Pain and Cough
Honey coats and soothes irritated throat tissue, and it performs surprisingly well in clinical comparisons. Research reviewed by the Mayo Clinic found that honey worked about as well as a common over-the-counter cough suppressant at reducing cough frequency. For adults and children over age one, a teaspoon of honey (straight or stirred into warm tea) can calm both the pain and the cough that often accompanies a sore throat.
One important limit: never give honey to a baby under 12 months old. Their digestive systems can’t safely handle the bacterial spores sometimes present in honey, which can cause infant botulism.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
Standard pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen are effective at reducing sore throat pain. Ibuprofen has the added benefit of being an anti-inflammatory, so it tackles both the pain signals and the swelling driving them. Acetaminophen works well for pain and fever but doesn’t address inflammation directly. Either option can make a real difference, especially first thing in the morning when throat pain tends to be worst.
For children and teenagers, stick with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Aspirin should never be given to anyone under 18 during a viral illness. It’s been linked to Reye’s syndrome, a rare but serious condition affecting the brain and liver. Check labels carefully, because aspirin shows up in some unexpected products like Alka-Seltzer.
Throat Sprays and Lozenges
Numbing throat sprays containing phenol or similar anesthetics work by temporarily blocking pain signals from the nerve endings in your throat lining. The relief is localized and relatively short-lived, typically requiring reapplication every two hours or so. Lozenges work on a similar principle and have the added benefit of stimulating saliva production, which keeps the throat moist. Neither fixes the underlying problem, but they’re useful for getting through meals or falling asleep when the pain is at its most distracting.
Stay Hydrated and Humidify Your Air
When your throat is sore, your body’s natural response is often nasal congestion, which forces you to breathe through your mouth. Every mouth breath dries out already irritated tissue and makes the pain worse. Two things counter this cycle: drinking fluids and adding moisture to the air you breathe.
Warm liquids like broth, tea, or just warm water feel particularly soothing because the heat increases blood flow to the throat and the liquid keeps mucous membranes from drying out. Cold options work too. Some people find that ice chips or popsicles numb the area enough to provide temporary relief.
If you’re running a humidifier, aim to keep your indoor humidity between 30% and 50%. Below 30%, the air is dry enough to aggravate a sore throat on its own, especially during winter when heating systems strip moisture from indoor air. Above 50%, you risk encouraging mold growth, which can create new irritation. A simple humidity gauge (available for a few dollars at most hardware stores) lets you dial this in.
What Your Throat Pain Timeline Looks Like
Most sore throats are viral, meaning antibiotics won’t help and the infection simply needs to run its course. You can expect gradual improvement over about seven days, with the worst pain usually concentrated in the first two or three days. The remedies above are about managing comfort during that window.
Strep throat is the main bacterial exception, and it’s worth knowing the signs that suggest it. Strep tends to come on suddenly, produces a fever, and often causes swollen lymph nodes in the neck and white patches on the tonsils. Notably, if you also have a cough, runny nose, or hoarseness, it’s much more likely viral. Doctors use a scoring system based on these features: the combination of fever, swollen neck glands, pus on the tonsils, and the absence of a cough significantly raises the likelihood of strep, especially in children. A rapid strep test in a clinic takes minutes and gives a clear answer. If it is strep, antibiotics typically bring noticeable improvement within two to three days.
Getting the Most Relief
No single remedy does everything, but combining a few approaches covers more ground. Taking ibuprofen handles the systemic inflammation and fever. Gargling with salt water targets local swelling. Honey soothes the surface irritation and suppresses coughing. Keeping the air humid prevents the dry-mouth cycle from compounding your discomfort. Used together, these can take a sore throat from genuinely miserable to manageable while your immune system does the real work.