Most sore throats are caused by viral infections and clear up on their own within three to ten days. In the meantime, several remedies can meaningfully reduce pain, swelling, and that raw, scratchy feeling. Here’s what actually works, from your kitchen cabinet to the pharmacy aisle.
Salt Water Gargle
A warm salt water 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 throat tissue through osmosis, which reduces inflammation and loosens mucus. You can repeat this several times a day as needed.
It won’t cure the underlying infection, but many people notice relief within minutes. It’s also essentially free and safe for anyone old enough to gargle without swallowing.
Honey for Pain and Cough
Honey does more than just coat your throat. A systematic review published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine found that honey improved overall symptom scores, cough frequency, and cough severity compared to standard care. It performed about as well as dextromethorphan, the active ingredient in most over-the-counter cough suppressants, and outperformed diphenhydramine (the antihistamine found in some nighttime cold medicines) across all three measures.
A spoonful of honey on its own or stirred into warm tea can soothe irritation and calm the cough reflex that makes a sore throat worse. One important exception: never give honey to a child under one year old. Honey can contain spores from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, and a baby’s immature gut bacteria can’t prevent those spores from producing a dangerous toxin. After age one, healthy gut bacteria keep the spores in check.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
If your throat hurts enough to interfere with eating, drinking, or sleeping, ibuprofen and acetaminophen are your best options. Ibuprofen reduces both pain and inflammation, which is useful when swollen tissue is part of the problem. Acetaminophen controls pain and lowers fever but doesn’t target inflammation directly. Taking them together or alternating them can provide stronger relief than either one alone.
For adults, acetaminophen tops out at 1,000 mg per dose, up to 4,000 mg per day, with at least four hours between doses. Ibuprofen is typically taken at 200 to 400 mg per dose for minor pain, up to 1,200 mg per day over the counter. Follow the label, and avoid exceeding maximum daily amounts.
Throat Sprays and Lozenges
Numbing throat sprays containing phenol provide targeted relief right where it hurts. You spray directly onto the sore area every two hours as needed. The numbing effect kicks in within seconds but wears off relatively quickly, so think of these as a bridge for the worst moments, like right before a meal or at bedtime.
Lozenges work similarly by keeping a steady supply of soothing or mildly numbing ingredients in contact with your throat. Even basic hard candy or ice chips can help by stimulating saliva production, which keeps the throat moist and washes away irritants.
Warm and Cold Fluids
Staying hydrated is one of the simplest things you can do. Fluids keep throat tissue moist, thin out mucus, and prevent the dehydration that often accompanies fever. Warm liquids like broth, tea, or warm water with lemon tend to feel especially soothing because the warmth increases blood flow to the area and relaxes tight, inflamed tissue.
Cold options work too. Popsicles, ice chips, and cold water can temporarily numb the surface of your throat. There’s no wrong temperature here. Go with whatever feels better to you.
Humidity and Your Environment
Dry air pulls moisture from your throat lining, making soreness worse, especially overnight when you’re breathing through your mouth. Running a humidifier in your bedroom can help. The Mayo Clinic recommends keeping indoor humidity between 30% and 50%. Below 30%, you’re more likely to wake up with a throat that feels raw and tight.
Cool-mist humidifiers are generally preferred, particularly around children, since there’s no risk of burns from hot steam. Clean your humidifier regularly to prevent mold and bacteria from building up in the water reservoir.
Herbal Demulcents
Slippery elm bark and marshmallow root both contain mucilage, a type of plant fiber that swells when mixed with liquid and forms a gel-like coating. When you drink tea made from these herbs or dissolve a lozenge containing them, the mucilage physically coats the irritated tissue in your throat, creating a temporary protective barrier. This doesn’t fight infection, but it can reduce that raw, scratchy sensation, especially between doses of pain medication.
Aloe vera works through a similar coating mechanism. You can find all three ingredients in many herbal throat teas and lozenges at grocery stores and pharmacies.
Viral vs. Bacterial Sore Throats
The vast majority of sore throats are viral. They typically come packaged with other cold symptoms like a runny nose, sneezing, and cough, and they resolve within about a week without any specific treatment. Everything above is designed to manage symptoms during that window.
Bacterial sore throats, most commonly strep, tend to look different. Doctors assess the likelihood of strep using a scoring tool that considers your age, whether you have a fever, swollen lymph nodes in your neck, white patches on your tonsils, and the absence of a cough. A high score warrants a rapid strep test. If strep is confirmed, antibiotics typically require a 10-day course.
Pay attention to a few signals that suggest something beyond a routine viral infection: a fever above 101°F that persists for more than two days, white patches or pus on the back of your throat, severely swollen lymph nodes, a sore throat that lasts longer than 10 days without improvement, or difficulty swallowing liquids or opening your mouth. These warrant a visit to your doctor for evaluation.