Health · Everyday health
Sore Throat: Home Care and When to Get Help
Quick answer
Most sore throats are caused by viruses and settle on their own within about a week. Fluids, rest, cool or soft foods and simple pain relief are the most useful things you can do at home. Antibiotics only help when a bacterial infection such as strep throat is found, and they do nothing for a viral sore throat.
What causes a sore throat?
Viruses are the most common cause, including the ones behind colds and flu. Smoking and being around smoke also irritate the throat, and so do allergies. Bacterial causes are less common, the main one being group A Streptococcus, which causes strep throat. Tonsillitis, laryngitis and glandular fever can also start with a sore throat.
How long does a sore throat last?
Sore throats are very common and usually settle by themselves within about a week. Pain on swallowing and a dry, scratchy feeling are normal parts of that week and do not by themselves mean you need medicine from a doctor.
What helps a sore throat at home?
- Drink plenty of water through the day.
- Eat cool or soft foods, which are easier to swallow than dry or rough ones.
- Adults can gargle with warm salty water: dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in warm water and do not swallow it. Children should not gargle.
- Sucking ice cubes, ice lollies or hard sweets can soothe the throat, but do not give these to young children because of the choking risk. Lozenges are not for children under 4.
- A humidifier or cool-mist vaporiser adds moisture to dry indoor air.
- Warm drinks are comforting. Honey can ease a cough in anyone over 1 year old, but never give honey to a baby under 1.
- Stay away from cigarette smoke, including other people's.
- Rest.
A pharmacist can suggest suitable options such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, medicated lozenges, or a throat spray, and can tell you which are right for your age and health.
Do I need antibiotics for a sore throat?
Usually not. If a virus is causing the sore throat, antibiotics will not help at all. They will not ease the pain and will not shorten the illness. Taking them when they are not needed carries real risks: allergic reactions, the growth of antibiotic-resistant infections, and C. difficile infection, which causes severe diarrhoea.
Antibiotics are used when a doctor finds strep throat. That is decided by examining you and, where appropriate, taking a throat swab, not by guessing from how bad the pain feels.
How can I tell a virus from strep throat?
A cough, a runny nose, a hoarse voice or pink eye (conjunctivitis) point towards a virus rather than strep. Both types cause a painful, scratchy throat, so these extra symptoms are clues rather than proof. Only a clinical check or swab can confirm it.
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment if:
- a child under 5 has a sore throat
- symptoms last longer than a week or keep getting worse
- sore throats keep coming back
- you have a lump or swelling in the neck, or mouth ulcers lasting 3 weeks or more
- there is blood in your saliva or phlegm, a rash, or painful, swollen joints
- you have a high temperature, signs of dehydration, or a weakened immune system
- a baby under 3 months has a temperature of 38C (100.4F) or above
Treat these as an emergency: trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, drooling in a young child, a high-pitched noise while breathing, or symptoms that are severe and getting worse quickly. In that case, call Rescue 1122 where available, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
Frequently asked questions
Will antibiotics make my sore throat go away faster?
Not if a virus is causing it, which is the usual case. Antibiotics will not relieve the symptoms or speed up recovery, and taking them unnecessarily can cause side effects and antibiotic resistance.
Does gargling with salt water work?
Gargling with warm salty water is a recognised way to soothe a sore throat in adults. Use about half a teaspoon of salt in warm water, do not swallow it, and do not give it to children.
How long before a sore throat needs checking?
Most clear up within a week. See a doctor if it lasts longer than a week, keeps returning, or comes with a high temperature, dehydration or neck swelling.
Is honey safe for a child's sore throat?
Honey can help a cough in children over 1 year old. It must never be given to babies under 1 year.
In an emergency call Rescue 1122 where the service is available, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.