Get Rid of a Sore Throat Fast and Naturally

A sore throat is a scratchy pain in the throat that can make it difficult to swallow or speak. This symptom can point to many causes, including dehydration, allergies, and muscle strain. However, the most common causes of sore throat are viral and bacterial infections like the flu or strep throat. Sore throats usually resolve naturally in a couple of days, but you can take steps to speed up the process.

Steps

Diagnosing a Sore Throat

1. Recognize the symptoms of a sore throat. The most persistent symptom of a sore throat is throat pain that may get worse when swallowing or talking. It may also be accompanied by dryness or a scratchy feeling, and a hoarse or muffled voice. Some people experience sore, swollen glands in the neck or jaw. If you still have your tonsils, they may appear swollen or red, or have white patches or pus on them.
2. Look for other signs of infection. Most sore throats are the result of viral and bacterial infections. You should also look for the symptoms of infection that may accompany your sore throat. These can include:
   • Fever
   • Chills
   • Coughing
   • Runny nose
   • Sneezing
   • Body aches
   • Headache
   • Nausea or vomiting
3. Consider getting a medical diagnosis. Most sore throats will go away within a few days to a week with simple home treatment. If the pain is excessive or lingers, though, you should consider seeing a physician for a physical exam. The doctor will look at your throat, listen to your breathing, and take a throat swab. While the swab is painless, it can be slightly uncomfortable if it causes a gag reflex. The sample taken from your throat swab will be sent to a lab to figure out the cause of the infection. Once the virus or bacteria causing your throat pain is determined, the doctor can advise you on treatment.
   • The doctor may also order a CBC (complete blood count) or test you for allergies.

Caring for Your Sore Throat at Home

1. Drink plenty of water. Drinking water prevents dehydration and keeps your throat moist to reduce discomfort. Most people prefer room-temperature water when they have a sore throat. If cold or hot water makes you feel better, though, drink that instead.
   • Drink at least eight to ten 8 oz. glasses of water each day — more if you have a fever.
   • Try adding a teaspoon of honey to the water. Honey has antibacterial properties and can help soothe and coat the throat.
2. Humidify the air. Dry air will only make your sore throat worse with every breath you take. To help keep your throat moisturized and soothed, try to raise the moisture levels in the air. This is especially important if you live in a dry environment.
   • Consider buying a humidifier for your home or office.
   • If a humidifier's not an option, leave out bowls of water in rooms where you spend a lot of time.
   • If your throat feels particularly scratchy, try taking a hot shower and spending time in the steamy bathroom.
3. Drink lots of soups and broths. The old tales of treating colds with chicken soup are true! Studies show that chicken soup can slow the movement of specific types of immune cells. The slower movement of these cells make them more effective. Chicken soup also increases the movement of tiny hairs in the nose that can help reduce infections. You should also stick to soft, mild, non-sticky foods for a while.
   • Examples of soft foods include applesauce, rice, scrambled eggs, well-cooked pasta, oatmeal, smoothies, and well-cooked beans and legumes.
   • Avoid spicy foods like chicken wings, pepperoni pizza, or anything with hot peppery, curry, or garlic.
   • Avoid hard or sticky foods that might be hard to swallow. Examples include peanut butter, dry bread, toast or crackers, raw vegetables or fruits, and dry cereals.
4. Chew your food well. Cut it into smaller pieces with a fork and knife before putting it in your mouth. Make sure to chew it enough to break it down before swallowing. Chewing and letting saliva moisten the food will make it easier for you to swallow.
   • You might also use a food processor to puree foods for easier swallowing.
5. Make your own throat spray. You can carry a small bottle of this throughout the day and use it to relieve pain as needed. Begin by measuring ¼ cup of filtered water for every 2 oz. of spray you want to make. To this, add two drops each of menthol essential oil (pain reliever), eucalyptus essential oil, and sage essential oil (antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory). Mix it all together well and pour it into a one or two oz. glass spray bottle. Refrigerate any unused portion to use later.

Treating Your Sore Throat with Gargles

1. Gargle with salt water. Add about 1 teaspoon of either table salt or sea salt to 8 oz. of warm water and stir to dissolve the salt. Gargle with the solution for about 30 seconds and spit it out. Repeat once every hour. The salt reduces the swelling by drawing out the water in the swollen tissues.
2. Use apple cider vinegar. Though there’s not yet a scientific explanation for it, apple cider vinegar seems to work much better than any other sort of vinegar at killing bacteria. Unfortunately, the taste can be too much for some people to deal with, so be prepared to wash out your mouth afterward!
   • Add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to one cup of warm water. If you want, you can also mix in one tablespoon of honey to help with the taste.
   • Gargle with this solution 2-3 times a day.
   • Don’t give honey to any child under the age of two. Young children may be susceptible to infant botulism which can contaminate honey.
3. Consider baking soda as an alternative. Baking soda is alkaline, which can help soothe sore throats. It also changes the pH of the throat, which helps fight bacteria. Baking soda can be a good alternative for those who can't handle the taste of gargling with apple cider vinegar.
   • Add ½ teaspoon of baking soda to one cup of very warm water.
   • Add ½ teaspoon of table or sea salt.
   • Gargle with this mixture every 2 hours.

Drinking Teas to Soothe Your Throat

1. Make a cayenne pepper tea. Although you should be avoiding spicy food, cayenne pepper tea can actually soothe a sore throat. Cayenne acts as a counter-irritant: it's a second irritant that counteract the original one. It also depletes "Substance P" in the body. Substance P is a neurotransmitter associated with inflammation and pain.
   • Stir ⅛- ¼ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper into one cup of steaming water.
   • Mix in about 1-2 teaspoons of honey (to taste) and sip continuously.
   • Stir the drink occasionally to redistribute the pepper.
2. Drink licorice root tea. This is not the black or red licorice that comes as candy. Licorice root tea is made from the licorice plant, Glycyrrhiza glabra. Licorice root has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s good for treating any type of sore throat, whether caused by viral or bacterial infection. Most stores now carry herbal teas, and licorice root is pretty common. Use one teabag per cup of boiled water and add honey to taste.
3. Enjoy drinking clove or ginger tea. Cloves and ginger are also known to have both antiviral and antibacterial properties. Even if you didn’t have a sore throat, you could just enjoy the pleasant taste and aroma of these teas, though.
   • For clove tea, add a teaspoon of whole cloves or ½ teaspoon of ground cloves to one cup of boiled water.
   • For ginger tea, you can add ½ teaspoon of ground ginger to hot water. If using fresh ginger (the best way to go!), use ½ teaspoon of peeled, chopped ginger.
   • Add honey to taste.
4. Add a stick of cinnamon to any tea you are drinking. Cinnamon is high in antioxidants and has antiviral and antibacterial properties.(16) You can either let a stick of cinnamon steep in boiled water to create a cinnamon tea, or just use it as a stirring stick with any other tea. Not only will it help fight off your infection, it will add depth of delicious flavor to your drinks!

Treating Sore Throat in Children

1. Make yogurt popsicles. You should be aware that cold temperatures can aggravate some sore throats. If the child does not respond well to this treatment, stop using it. Gather your materials: two cups of Greek yogurt, two to three tablespoons of honey, and one teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Yogurt contains healthy bacteria that can help boost the immune system. The Greek style is tangier and thicker, so it won’t be as drippy as it melts. You can use either a plain yogurt or a fruit one — whichever the child will prefer.
   • Mix the ingredients in a food processor or mixer until smooth.
   • Pour the mixture into popsicle forms, stopping about ½ inch from the top.
   • Insert the popsicle stick and store it in the freezer for 6-8 hours.
2. Prepare the popsicle for eating. If you just try to yank the popsicle out of its mold, fresh from the freezer, you’ll find yourself holding a popsicle stick with no popsicle. Before pulling on the stick, dip the molds in hot water for five seconds. This loosens up the popsicle a little bit, and makes it easier to remove it from the mold.
3. Try making tea popsicles, too. You can freeze any of the teas described in this article, as well. Simply pour your cayenne, licorice root, clove, or ginger tea into the mold and freeze for four to six hours. For children, especially, you may want to sweeten the popsicles with honey and/or cinnamon.
4. Make homemade lozenges for children over five. When used with very young children, lozenges can pose a choking hazard. In older children and adults, though, they increase the flow of saliva, moisturizing your throat. These lozenges also add ingredients that soothe and heal sore throats. They should last for about six months if stored in a cool, dry, dark place. To make them, gather your ingredients: ½ teaspoon marshmallow root powder; ½ cup slippery elm bark powder; ¼ cup filtered hot water; two tablespoons of medicinal honey.
   • Dissolve the marshmallow root powder in the hot water.
   • Put the two tablespoons of honey into a glass measuring cup and add enough of the hot marshmallow liquid to have a total of ½ cup. Pour this into a mixing bowl and discard the rest.
   • Add the ½ cup of Slippery Elm Bark powder to a mixing bowl, and create a well in the middle of the powder.
   • Pour the honey/marshmallow solution into the well and mix the ingredients together. They should form small oblong shapes about the size of a grape.
   • Roll the lozenge in some of the extra slippery elm bark powder to reduce their “stickiness,” and place them on a plate to let them dry for at least 24 hours.
   • When dry, wrap each lozenge in waxed paper or parchment paper. To use, just unwrap the lozenge and allow it to slowly dissolve in your mouth.

Treating a Sore Throat with Medication

1. Learn when to get immediate medical attention. Most sore throats will heal with with home treatment within a few days to one week. If it lingers beyond one week, though, it may suggest the infection causing it is serious enough to need medical attention. Furthermore, children, should always be checked out by a doctor if a sore throat doesn't go away with a drink of water in the morning. Call your doctor immediately if your child has trouble breathing or swallowing. Unusual drooling accompanied by a sore throat should also be examined as soon as possible. Adults are better at gauging whether they need medical attention. You can wait it out at home for a few days, but see a doctor if you experience:
   • A sore throat that lasts longer than a week or seems severe
   • Any difficulty swallowing
   • Any difficulty breathing
   • Any difficulty in opening your mouth or pain in the jaw joint
   • Joint pain, especially new pains
   • Earache
   • Any rash
   • A fever higher than 101 F (38.3 C)
   • Any blood in your saliva or phlegm
   • Frequently recurring sore throats
   • A lump or mass in your neck
   • Hoarseness that lasts more than two weeks
2. Determine whether the infection is viral or bacterial. Viral throat infections generally don't call for any medical treatment. They should resolve on their own within five to seven days. Bacterial infections, however, can be easily treated with antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.
   • The medical lab’s analysis of your throat swab will determine whether your infection is viral or bacterial.
3. Take antibiotics for a bacterial infection as directed. You have to complete the full course of your antibiotic treatment, even if you start feeling better. If you don't take the medication for as long as your doctor prescribes, your symptoms may come back. This is because some antibiotic-resistant bacteria may survive a partial course of antibiotics. If they do, they can increase the population of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in your body. This puts you at risk of complications or a recurrence of the infection.
   • If antibiotic-resistant bacteria survive in your body, you are more likely to get infected again. This time, you'll need a stronger antibiotic to kill them off.
4. Eat yogurt with active cultures while on antibiotics. Antibiotics attack the bacteria causing your infection, but also the healthy bacteria in your gut. Your body needs normal gut bacteria for healthy digestion and a strong immune system. This healthy bacteria is also important for the production of certain vitamins. Yogurts that have "active cultures" contain probiotics — healthy gut bacteria. Eating these products while on antibiotics will you healthy while the antibiotics do their work.
   • Always look for the term "active cultures" on the yogurt packaging. Pasteurized or otherwise processed yogurts will not help restore gut bacteria.

Tips

• Most people find relief drinking hot liquids, but this is not written in stone. If you feel better drinking lukewarm or cool teas, go right ahead. Iced drinks can be helpful as well, especially if you have a fever

Warnings

• Do not use honey with a child under the age of 2. While it is rare, infant botulism is a risk because honey sometimes contains bacterial spores and infants do not have a developed immune system.
• Make sure to see a physician if you are not better in 2-3 days.

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