Most sore throats are caused by viruses and will resolve on their own within 3 to 10 days. In the meantime, several home remedies and over-the-counter options can meaningfully reduce your pain and help you sleep and eat more comfortably. Here’s what actually works.
Salt Water Gargle
Gargling with warm salt water is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce throat pain. Salt draws moisture out of swollen tissue, which temporarily shrinks the inflamed lining of your throat and eases that tight, painful feeling when you swallow. Mix half a teaspoon of table salt into one cup of warm water, gargle for 15 to 30 seconds, and spit it out. You can repeat this every few hours throughout the day.
The relief is temporary, usually lasting 30 minutes to an hour, but it’s safe to do as often as you need. It also helps flush irritants and mucus away from the throat surface.
Warm Liquids, Cold Liquids, or Both
Staying well-hydrated keeps your throat moist and helps thin out mucus, but the temperature of what you drink also matters for comfort. Warm liquids like tea, broth, or warm water with lemon relax the muscles around your throat and improve blood flow to the area, which can reduce pain. Cold liquids work differently: they numb sore tissue and reduce swelling by constricting blood vessels.
Neither option has been rigorously studied over the other for sore throats specifically, so the best choice is whichever feels better to you. Many people find warm drinks more soothing during the day and cold options (like ice chips or popsicles) helpful when pain spikes. One thing to keep in mind: prolonged cold exposure can slow blood flow enough to delay healing, so alternating between warm and cold is a reasonable approach.
Honey
Honey does more than just taste good. A study published in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that honey was significantly better than no treatment for reducing cough frequency and improving sleep in children with upper respiratory infections. It performed just as well as dextromethorphan, the active ingredient in most over-the-counter cough suppressants. Parents in the study rated honey the most favorable option overall.
Honey coats the throat, forming a protective layer over irritated tissue, and it has mild antimicrobial properties. Stir a tablespoon into warm tea or take it straight. Do not give honey to children under one year old due to the risk of botulism.
Humidity and Air Quality
Dry air pulls moisture from your throat lining, making soreness worse, especially overnight. If you’re recovering from a sore throat, keeping indoor humidity between 30% and 50% can help your throat membranes stay hydrated. A cool-mist humidifier in your bedroom is the easiest way to achieve this. Clean it regularly to prevent mold and bacteria from building up in the water reservoir.
Throat-Coating Herbs
Certain herbs contain a compound called mucilage, a naturally occurring gel-like substance that becomes slippery when mixed with water. When you drink a tea made from these herbs, the gel coats your throat and creates a temporary protective barrier over raw, irritated tissue.
Marshmallow root and slippery elm are the two most widely used options. Both are available as loose teas, lozenges, or pre-made tea bags at most grocery stores and pharmacies. Steep them in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes to release enough mucilage for that characteristic slippery texture. Licorice root tea is another option, though it can raise blood pressure with regular use, so it’s best used occasionally.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
Ibuprofen and acetaminophen both reduce throat pain effectively. Ibuprofen has an edge when inflammation is a major factor because it’s an anti-inflammatory, while acetaminophen works purely as a pain reliever and fever reducer. For a sore throat, either one is a reasonable choice, and some people alternate between the two for more consistent relief. Follow the dosing instructions on the package carefully, as exceeding recommended amounts of either medication carries real risks.
Throat sprays and lozenges containing numbing agents like phenol or benzocaine offer targeted, short-term relief. Phenol-based sprays are simpler, with fewer drug interactions. Benzocaine products are effective but carry a rare risk of a blood condition called methemoglobinemia, so they should be used sparingly and avoided in young children.
When a Sore Throat Needs More Than Home Care
Viruses cause the vast majority of sore throats. Strep bacteria account for only 20% to 30% of sore throats in children and 5% to 15% in adults. The distinction matters because strep requires antibiotics while viral sore throats do not.
Doctors assess the likelihood of strep using four clinical markers: a fever, swollen and tender lymph nodes in the front of the neck, white or yellow patches on the tonsils, and the absence of a cough. The more of these you have, the higher the chance of a bacterial infection. A cough, runny nose, and hoarseness, on the other hand, point strongly toward a virus.
Most sore throats improve steadily over 3 to 10 days. If yours lasts longer than a week, gets dramatically worse after initially improving, comes with a fever above 101°F that won’t break, or makes it difficult to swallow liquids or breathe comfortably, those are signs that something beyond a simple virus may be going on.