When you have tonsillitis, the best things to drink are warm broths, herbal teas with honey, and cold water or ice chips. Both warm and cold liquids help, but through different mechanisms, so the right choice depends on which symptom is bothering you most. Staying hydrated is the single most important thing you can do, since swollen tonsils make swallowing painful enough that many people stop drinking and end up dehydrated, which slows recovery.
Warm Drinks for Mucus and Cough Relief
Warm liquids loosen mucus and help clear the throat, which is why chicken broth and hot tea feel so good when you’re sick. They also soothe the back of the throat in a way that reduces coughing. A study on hot fruit drinks found they provided immediate and sustained relief from sore throat, cough, sneezing, tiredness, and chilliness, while the same drink served at room temperature only helped with runny nose, cough, and sneezing. The warmth itself is doing real work.
Good options include chicken or vegetable broth, chamomile tea, ginger tea, and warm water with honey and lemon. You don’t need anything fancy. The goal is warm (not scalding), soothing, and easy to swallow. Sip throughout the day rather than gulping large amounts at once.
Cold Drinks and Frozen Treats for Pain
Cold liquids tackle the other side of the problem: pain and swelling. Low temperatures reduce tissue congestion and lower the rate at which pain nerve signals travel, essentially numbing the area. Ice water, chilled herbal tea, ice chips, and popsicles all work. If swallowing feels like the worst part, cold is often more helpful than warm.
Try both temperatures and see which your throat prefers. Some people alternate between warm tea and ice chips depending on the time of day. There’s no wrong answer here.
Herbal Teas That Coat the Throat
Not all teas are equal for tonsillitis. Teas made with soothing, coating ingredients like marshmallow root, elm inner bark, and licorice root have been used for centuries to treat sore throats, and a randomized controlled trial confirmed they work. A herbal tea blend containing these ingredients was significantly more effective than a placebo tea for short-term pain relief in patients with acute throat inflammation.
The catch: the effect lasts less than 30 minutes. That means you need to drink it frequently throughout the day to maintain relief. Look for “throat coat” style teas at any grocery store or pharmacy. They’re widely available and inexpensive.
Why Honey Belongs in Every Cup
Adding honey to your warm drinks does more than improve the taste. In a clinical study of patients recovering from tonsil surgery, those who used honey regularly reported less pain-related sleep disturbance and experienced pain that decreased faster and more steadily over five days compared to those who didn’t use honey. The patients in that study used honey eight times per day, which gives you a sense of how often you can safely add it to drinks.
Stir a spoonful into hot tea, warm water with lemon, or broth. Honey coats the throat and provides a layer of temporary comfort between sips. One important note: never give honey to children under one year old due to the risk of botulism.
Salt Water Gargling Between Drinks
While not technically a drink (you spit it out), salt water gargling pairs well with your fluid routine. The CDC recommends mixing one teaspoon of salt into one cup of warm water. The salt creates a concentrated solution that draws excess fluid out of swollen tissue through osmosis, temporarily reducing the puffiness in your tonsils. It also helps with mucosal hydration and clearing away secretions. Gargle several times a day, especially before meals if swallowing is painful.
Drinks to Avoid
Some liquids make tonsillitis worse. Citrus juices like orange and grapefruit juice are acidic enough to sting inflamed tonsils and increase irritation. Alcohol causes mild dehydration by increasing urination, which is the opposite of what you need. Very hot drinks can burn tissue that’s already raw and sensitive.
Caffeinated drinks are a gray area. A cup of tea with caffeine is fine and provides the benefits of warm liquid. But relying heavily on coffee or energy drinks can tip you toward dehydration if you’re not also drinking water. Keep caffeine moderate and offset it with plenty of non-caffeinated fluids.
Milk Is Fine, Despite the Myth
You may have heard that dairy increases mucus production and should be avoided when your throat is inflamed. This is a persistent myth, but it’s not supported by evidence. Research going back decades, including a study of roughly 600 patients, found that milk does not cause the body to produce more mucus. What actually happens is that milk and saliva mix in the mouth to create a slightly thick coating that can be mistaken for phlegm. It’s a sensory trick, not a biological response.
Studies in children with asthma, who are often told to avoid milk for the same reason, found no difference in symptoms between those drinking dairy milk and those drinking soy milk. If a cold glass of milk or a milkshake feels good on your swollen tonsils, go ahead.
How Much Fluid You Actually Need
There’s no magic number, but you should aim to drink more than usual. Fever increases fluid loss through sweat, and mouth breathing (common when your tonsils are swollen) dries out your throat faster. A good rule of thumb is to keep a glass or bottle within reach at all times and take small sips every few minutes, even when it hurts. Small, frequent sips are easier to manage than large gulps.
If you notice you’re drooling because swallowing has become too painful, your neck is visibly swelling, or you’re having trouble breathing or hearing a whistling noise when you inhale, those are signs that fluid intake alone isn’t enough and you need emergency medical attention. Increasing difficulty swallowing saliva is the key warning sign to watch for.