Get Rid of a Sore Throat Quickly

This article will give you lots of tips and advice for getting rid of a sore throat. If your sore throat lasts for more than three days, see a doctor.

Key Points

• Try home remedies, such as gargling salt water.
• Use throat lozenges, sprays, humidifiers, and warm compresses for temporary relief.
• Sleep more than usual - about 11-13 hours a night
• Drink plenty of water and avoid drinking coffee in excess.
• Take steamy showers in the morning and evening.
• Avoid dairy, sweets, or cold food or drinks.

Steps

Home Remedies for Relieving Sore Throat

1. Make a few gargles to help reduce swelling and relieve discomfort. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt into 8 ounces of warm water. Take the liquid into the back of your throat, gargle with your head turned slightly up, and spit the water out. Gargle once every hour or so. You should wash your mouth out after so your mouth doesn't taste too bad.
   • Optional: Put one teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar in the gargle and gargle as usual. Do not swallow!
2. Use nonprescription throat lozenges for relief. Many herbal lozenges that you can buy over the counter contain analgesics like lemon or honey.
   • Some throat lozenges, like Sucrets Maximum Strength or Spec-T, are safe and effective and contain medicine (local anesthetic) that numbs the throat to soothe pain.
   • Try not to consume lozenges with anesthetics for more than three days, as the anesthetics could mask a serious bacterial infection such as Streptococcus (strep throat) that needs medical intervention.
3. Use throat sprays for relief. Like lozenges, throat sprays such as Cepacol, help relieve pain by numbing the lining of the throat. Follow instructions on labeling for proper dosage, and consult a doctor or pharmacist for information regarding use with other medications and/or remedies.
4. Soothe your throat pain with a warm compress. You can soothe pain on the inside of your throat with warm tea, lozenges, and throat sprays, but how about attacking the pain from the outside? Wrap a warm compress around the outside of your throat. This could be a warm heating pad, a hot water bottle, or a warm, damp cloth.
5. Make a poultice out of chamomile tea. Make a batch of chamomile tea (or soak 1 tablespoon dried chamomile flowers in 1-2 cups boiling water and let steep). Once the tea is warm enough to touch, soak a clean towel in the tea, wring it out, and apply to neck area, repeating as necessary.
6. Make a plaster with sea salt and water. Mix 2 cups sea salt with 5 to 6 tablespoons lukewarm water to create a damp, but not wet, mixture. Put the salt in the center of a clean dishtowel. Roll the towel along its longer side and wrap the towel around your neck. Cover the plaster with another dry towel. Leave on for as long as you wish.
7. Use humidifiers or steam treatments for relief. Warm or cool mist moving through a humidifier can help soothe your throat, although take care not to make your room uncomfortably cold or damp.
   • Use a steam treatment with warm water and a dishtowel. Bring 2-3 cups of water to a soft boil and remove from heat. (Optional: steep chamomile, ginger, or lemon tea in the water.) Lest rest for about 5 minutes. Put your hand over the steam coming off the water to test if it is too hot. Pour the water into a large bowl, drape a clean dishtowel over your head, and bring your covered head over the steam issuing from the bowl. Breathe deeply through your mouth and nose for 5-10 minutes. Repeat as necessary.
8. Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen. For pain relief, it's okay to take acetaminophen and ibuprofen, but avoid giving children under the age of 20 any aspirin, as the combination has been linked to a serious condition called Reye syndrome. Follow dosage instruction on the label exactly.

General Health Practices for Relieving Sore Throat

1. Get plenty of rest. Try to sleep during the day, if possible and maintain your regular sleeping schedule for the night. Shoot to sleep more than your usual daily allotment, about 11-13 hours while symptoms last.
2. Wash or sanitize your hands frequently. It's no secret that our hands are vectors for bacteria: We touch our face and other objects, increasing the likelihood of spreading bacteria. Wash your hands frequently if you have a sore throat or cold in order to prevent as much bacterial transmission.
3. Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Water may help thin secretions in the throat, and warmer fluids help soothe irritation in the throat. Hydrating your body will help it fight off infections and clear the sore throat quickly.
   • Shoot for 3 liters (13 cups) of water a day for men, and 2.2 liters (9 cups) of water a day for women.
   • If you have a cold or are showing signs of dehydration, avoid drinking coffee in excess. Above 5 cups per day, coffee is a diuretic, meaning it dehydrates the body. But recent studies suggest that normal coffee consumption does not inhibit the body's ability to retain fluids, meaning it's perfectly safe to drink under 5 cups of coffee and not worry about dehydration.
   • Drinking electrolyte-rich sports drinks, such as Gatorade, will help your body replenish the salts, sugars, and other necessary minerals it needs to fight the sore throat.
4. Take showers every morning and every night. Take frequent, steamy showers. Showering will help clean your body, offer a refreshing diversion, and allow the steam a chance to soothe your throat.
5. Take vitamin C. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are compounds formed when our bodies convert the food we eat into energy. The scientific evidence about whether vitamin C specifically helps sore throats is controversial, but it certainly won't hurt your sore throat. You might as well take it.
   • Other antioxidant-rich foods include: green tea, blueberries and cranberries, beans (pinto beans, kidney beans, and black beans), artichokes, prunes, apples, and pecans, among others.
6. Make garlic tea. This can work well, as garlic is a natural antibiotic.
   • Cut some fresh garlic into small pieces (medium slices).
   • Put the garlic pieces into a mug/teacup. Fill with water.
   • Put the cup inside of the microwave. Boil for two minutes.
   • Remove the cup. While still hot, take out the pieces of garlic.
   • Add your favorite teabag (preferably a flavored one to kill the smell of garlic), such as vanilla flavor.
   • Add some honey or other sweetener (enough to make drinking tasty).
   • Drink (it will taste really good thanks to the teabag and sweetener). You can have as many cups as you like.

Foods to Avoid While Symptoms Persist

1. Avoid dairy foods such as milk, butter, or ice cream. In some people, dairy increases mucus production.
2. Avoid overly sugary foods such as cupcakes or cake while suffering from sore throat. Sugary foods can irritate the throat. Popsicles, preferably sugar-free varieties, are acceptable as they can help soothe the throat.
3. Avoid cold foods and cold drinks. Don't let the cooling sensation of drinks fool you: You want to keep your body's core temperature up. Try to drink water that is lukewarm, even if it doesn't taste the best.

Signs That Your Sore Throat Needs Medical Attention

1. See a doctor if your sore throat lasts for more than three days. It's better to be safe than sorry. Your doctor can look at your throat, discuss your symptoms, and perform tests that hopefully will put you back on the path to a quick recovery.
2. Check for signs of strep throat. Your sore throat is probably just that — sore. But there's a chance what you thought was sore throat is, in fact, strep throat or another potentially hazardous infection. Be on the lookout for these signs that you have strep throat:
   • Severe and sudden sore throat without the usual signs of common cold (coughing, sneezing, runny nose, etc.).
   • Fever over 101° F (38.3° C). Lower fevers suggest increased likelihood of viral infection, not strep.
   • Swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
   • White or yellow spots or coating on the throat and tonsils.
   • Bright red throat or dark red spots on the roof of the mouth at the back near the throat.
   • Scarlet blotches in the neck area or other parts of the body.
3. Check for signs of mononucleosis, or mono. Mono is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus and is usually associated with teens and young adults, as most adults have immunity to the virus. Symptoms of mono include:
   • High fever, anywhere from 101° - 104° F (38.3° - 40° C), with attendant chills.
   • Sore throat, with white patches on the tonsils.
   • Swollen tonsils and swollen lymph nodes all over the body.
   • Headache, fatigue, and a lack of energy.
   • Pain in the upper left side of the abdomen, near your spleen. If your spleen hurts, seek medical attention immediately, as it could mean that your spleen has burst.

Tips

• Try not to talk as much. It will help you rest your throat. Talking can add extra stress to your voice as well.
• Eat soup. Soup is a good way for any sickness to go away.
• Take a very hot shower. The heat of the water will produce steam which, in turn, will open up respiratory passages, allow for healing, and relieve some of the pain.
• Eat a few cough drops every now and then.
• Elevate your head while sleeping and put some Vapor rub on your chest, under your nose, and a bit on your forehead. Vapor rub allows for easier breathing, increasing the flow of oxygen.
• Take your temperature every 24 hours while having a sore throat. If at any time it reaches over 101 degrees, go to a doctor as this could be signs of viral or bacterial infection such as mono.
• Boil some lavender in water. Then, add some honey to it. It smells really nice and it soothes your throat.
• Drink freshly squeezed orange juice with a bit of salt and honey in the morning.
• Take ibuprofen or any other equivalent for temporary relief. Do not give children these medications without the prior consent of a doctor and/or medical professional.
• Avoid smoking or drinking alcohol. It will make it worse.
• If you don't have tea, try coffee. It will also help your throat, and make you feel better.
• Boil water. Then add garlic. After the water has boiled, put lemon and lots of honey in a cup. Then pour the water.
• Mix honey and lemon juice in a cup and drink it.
• Try drinking ginger tea as well.
• If you have to talk a lot in a place just speak low.
• Try to drink tea before breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It helps flush all bacteria out of your throat.
• Sleep well.
• Avoid oranges, it makes throat pain worse.
• Drink as much water as possible but make sure it's not too cold or hot.
• Make your self lemon and honey tea. Put 1 tablespoon of honey in one cup. Add the hot water and the juice of two lemons.
• If you have a sore throat rest drink lots of water and hot drinks to keep your fluids up and have some honey on its own and it will settle your throat and twill relieve some of the pain.
• Avoid cold water and drink warm water or juice.
• Avoid coughing excessively, as this can make your throat feel worse.
• Try drinking honey water. Add {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of honey to a cup of warm or hot water. Many people find this quite soothing.
• Avoid smoking cigarettes or cigars.
• Mix lemon juice, water (boiled) and honey, this is a soothing drink for your raw throat.

Warnings

• Avoid soda and other high-sugar foods and beverages. The only soda that is fine is ginger ale, studies show that the ginger can heal sore throats and swollen tonsils.

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Make an Elderberry Jelly Sore Throat Soother
• Make a Simple Remedy for Sore Throat
• Treat Laryngitis
• Clear the Throat of Mucus
• Numb a Sore Throat
• Recover Your Voice After Losing It
• Stop Coughing Using Home and Natural Remedies
• Evaluate and Treat Strep Throat
• Get Rid of a Sore Throat Fast and Naturally
• Get Rid of a Sore Throat

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