Most sore throats are caused by viruses and clear up on their own within 5 to 7 days, but the pain in the meantime can make swallowing, talking, and sleeping miserable. The good news is that several simple home strategies can meaningfully reduce that discomfort while your body fights off the infection.
Gargle With Salt Water
A warm saltwater gargle is one of the fastest ways to temporarily ease throat pain. Mix half a teaspoon of table salt into one cup of warm water, gargle for 15 to 30 seconds, and spit it out. The salt draws excess fluid out of swollen tissue through osmosis, which shrinks inflammation and loosens mucus. You can repeat this several times a day as needed. It won’t cure anything, but many people notice relief within minutes.
Use Honey
Honey does more than just coat the throat. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that honey was superior to usual care for relieving symptoms of upper respiratory infections, significantly reducing both cough frequency and cough severity. It works as a demulcent, forming a protective layer over irritated tissue, and it has mild antibacterial properties. Stir a tablespoon into warm (not hot) tea or simply swallow it straight off the spoon. One important note: never give honey to children under 12 months old due to the risk of infant botulism.
Stay Hydrated With the Right Liquids
Keeping your throat moist is one of the most important things you can do. A dry throat feels worse and heals more slowly. Warm liquids like broth, caffeine-free tea, and warm water with honey are particularly soothing because they increase blood flow to the area and help loosen mucus. On the other hand, cold options work too. Ice pops and ice chips numb the tissue and reduce the sensation of pain, similar to icing a swollen ankle.
There’s no single “best” temperature. Use whichever feels better to you. The key is volume: drink more fluids than you normally would. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, both of which are dehydrating and can make throat dryness worse.
Choose Foods That Won’t Irritate
What you eat matters when swallowing hurts. Soft, smooth foods like yogurt, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and smoothies go down easily without scraping inflamed tissue. Warm broth-based soups are a good option because they combine hydration with calories. Sucking on hard candy or cough lozenges can also help by stimulating saliva production, which keeps the throat lubricated.
Avoid anything rough, crunchy, acidic, or spicy. Chips, crackers, citrus juice, and tomato-based sauces can all irritate an already raw throat. Cigarette smoke and strong cleaning product fumes are also worth avoiding until you’ve recovered.
Add Moisture to Your Air
Dry indoor air, especially during winter months when heating systems run constantly, pulls moisture from throat tissue and makes soreness worse. Running a humidifier in your bedroom can help. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends cool mist humidifiers over warm steam vaporizers, which pose a burn risk if tipped over. Keep the humidifier clean to prevent mold growth, and aim to make the air noticeably but not excessively humid.
Manage Pain With Over-the-Counter Medication
Standard pain relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve) all reduce sore throat pain effectively. Ibuprofen and naproxen also reduce inflammation, which can be helpful if your throat is visibly swollen. Follow the dosing instructions on the label and be careful not to double up: many cold and flu combination products already contain acetaminophen, so taking additional Tylenol on top of them can push you past safe limits.
Throat sprays containing a numbing agent are another option for targeted, short-term relief. They work within seconds but wear off relatively quickly.
Rest Your Voice and Your Body
Talking strains inflamed vocal cords and throat tissue, so minimizing how much you speak (and avoiding whispering, which actually creates more strain than normal speech) helps the healing process. Sleep is also critical. Your immune system does its heaviest repair work during rest, and getting extra sleep during the first few days can shorten the overall course of your illness.
Signs That Home Care Isn’t Enough
Most viral sore throats resolve within 7 to 10 days. But certain patterns suggest a bacterial infection like strep throat, which does require antibiotics. The classic signs that increase the likelihood of strep include a fever of 38°C (100.4°F) or higher, swollen lymph nodes at the front of your neck, white patches or pus on your tonsils, and the absence of a cough. If you have three or more of these four symptoms, it’s worth getting a rapid strep test.
Some symptoms require immediate medical attention regardless of how long you’ve been sick: difficulty breathing, inability to swallow, trouble opening your mouth, or unusual drooling (especially in children). These can signal a peritonsillar abscess or a swollen epiglottis, both of which can block the airway. Blood in your saliva, a rash, joint swelling, or symptoms that steadily worsen instead of improving after a few days also warrant a call to your doctor.