Most sore throats are caused by viruses and will clear up on their own within about a week. In the meantime, several home remedies and over-the-counter options can make a real difference in how you feel while your body fights off the infection.
Start With Simple Home Remedies
A saltwater gargle is one of the fastest ways to temporarily ease throat pain. Mix half a teaspoon of salt into one cup of warm water, gargle for 15 to 30 seconds, and spit it out. The salt draws excess fluid from inflamed tissue, which reduces swelling. You can repeat this several times a day.
Honey is more than a folk remedy. A systematic review published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine found that honey was superior to usual care for relieving upper respiratory symptoms, including cough frequency and severity. Stir a tablespoon into warm water or tea, or take it straight off the spoon. One important note: honey should never be given to children under one year old due to the risk of botulism.
Staying hydrated matters more than you might think. Warm liquids like broth, tea, or plain warm water soothe irritated tissue and keep your throat from drying out. Cold options work too. Ice chips, popsicles, and cold water can temporarily numb the area and feel good when swallowing is painful. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can dehydrate you.
Keep Your Air From Making It Worse
Dry indoor air, especially during winter months when heating systems are running, can intensify throat irritation. A humidifier helps. The Mayo Clinic recommends keeping indoor humidity between 30% and 50%. Above that range, you risk mold growth, which creates its own set of problems. If you don’t have a humidifier, sitting in a steamy bathroom for 10 to 15 minutes can offer short-term relief.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relief
For moderate to significant throat pain, over-the-counter pain relievers are effective. Acetaminophen works well for sore throats by reducing pain signals. Ibuprofen is another option and has the added benefit of reducing inflammation, which can help if your throat is visibly swollen. Don’t exceed the recommended daily limits: 3,000 milligrams for acetaminophen and 2,400 milligrams for ibuprofen.
Throat lozenges containing numbing agents like benzocaine can also provide targeted relief. These work by temporarily numbing the surface of your throat on contact. Sucking on any hard candy or lozenge stimulates saliva production, which keeps the throat moist, but medicated versions add that extra layer of pain relief. Throat sprays work on the same principle and can be useful if lozenges aren’t your preference.
How to Tell If It’s Viral or Bacterial
This distinction matters because it determines whether you need antibiotics. The vast majority of sore throats are viral, meaning antibiotics won’t help. Viral sore throats often come packaged with other cold symptoms: runny nose, cough, sneezing, watery eyes, and a mild fever. These typically improve gradually over about a week.
Strep throat, caused by group A streptococcus bacteria, looks different. Clinicians evaluate several factors to gauge the likelihood of strep: whether you have a fever, swollen lymph nodes in your neck, white patches on your tonsils, absence of cough, and your age. The more of these criteria you meet, the more likely a bacterial infection. Children between 3 and 14 are at the highest risk for strep. A rapid strep test or throat culture confirms the diagnosis.
If you test positive for strep, the CDC recommends treatment with antibiotics, typically a 10-day course. This is especially important for children, where untreated strep can lead to rheumatic fever, a serious inflammatory condition affecting the heart, joints, and nervous system. Most people start feeling better within a day or two of starting antibiotics, but finishing the full course prevents the bacteria from bouncing back.
What Recovery Looks Like
A viral sore throat follows a fairly predictable pattern. Pain and irritation peak around days two through four, then gradually ease over the rest of the week. You may notice that mornings are worse, since lying down allows mucus to pool in the back of your throat overnight. This is normal and doesn’t mean you’re getting sicker.
If your symptoms haven’t improved after a week, or if they’re actively getting worse after the first few days, that’s worth a visit to your doctor. Any throat discomfort that lingers beyond two weeks needs professional evaluation regardless of severity, since persistent soreness can occasionally signal something beyond a simple infection.
Symptoms That Need Immediate Attention
Most sore throats are a nuisance, not an emergency. But certain symptoms signal something more serious. The CDC recommends seeing a healthcare provider promptly if you experience:
- Difficulty breathing or a feeling that your airway is narrowing
- Difficulty swallowing to the point where you can’t manage fluids
- Blood in your saliva or phlegm
- Excessive drooling in young children, which can indicate they’re unable to swallow
- Signs of dehydration such as dizziness, dark urine, or no tears when crying (in children)
- Joint swelling and pain, which may suggest rheumatic fever
- A rash appearing alongside the sore throat
Difficulty breathing and an inability to swallow are the most urgent of these. A severely swollen throat, particularly one that develops rapidly, can indicate a peritonsillar abscess or another condition that requires same-day medical care.