A sore throat can cause discomfort, itchy sensations and make swallowing food and beverages difficult. A sore throat may even make breathing difficult – making breathing harder in general!

Hutchison suggested several home remedies can help relieve symptoms. Some tried-and-true methods include drinking cold liquids or popsicles to numb pain; gargling with warm salt water; and taking decongestants.

Get Plenty of Rest

As when dealing with any illness, rest is the cornerstone of recovery from sore throats. Physical rest will help your body fight infections and heal itself while sleep can speed the healing process. Furthermore, avoid irritating factors like secondhand smoke or spicy foods; additionally try using a humidifier in the home for added moisture in the air.

Cold liquids can provide relief to sore throats by helping prevent further swelling. Try sipping ice water or sucking on an ice cube or mint lozenge; sucking will stimulate saliva production to aid hydration and mucus flow within your throat.

Viral infections that cause sore throats usually go away on their own within a week or so; however, over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and naproxen as well as throat sprays and lozenges can provide temporary relief from discomfort. If however your sore throat is caused by bacteria such as Strep throat, antibiotics will likely be necessary in order to heal it completely.

Gargle with Salt Water

Home remedies for sore throats often include gargling with warm salt water to neutralize throat acid and alleviate symptoms in the mouth and throat. Salt also acts as an antibacterial, helping prevent growth of unwanted bacteria that might otherwise build up over time.

Combine half a teaspoon of salt with eight ounces of warm water and stir until all the salt dissolves, before tilting your head back and gargling for thirty to forty-five seconds until swallowed. Repeat several times throughout the day.

Be mindful not to do multiple rinses or swallow too much salt water as this can dehydrate you. Drink plenty of fluids such as water, juice and non-caffeinated tea as this will replenish the body with much-needed fluids. Lozenges or chewing ice chips may provide soothing relief; alternatively a cool mist vaporizer may add moisture back into the air and ease discomfort caused by allergies or postnasal drip.

Drink Cold Liquids

Drinking liquids can help thin mucus secretions, soothe irritated throat tissues and decrease coughing. Warm beverages like tea and broth, such as Grandma’s chicken soup are especially soothing; but other soothing beverages, including cold beverages such as ice water or popsicles with VapoRub are equally soothing – these also increase salivation while soothing pain receptors with VapoRub or another similar menthol product.

If you can’t take in liquids, sucking on hard candy or medicated lozenges may provide temporary throat relief; these products contain chemicals which temporarily numb it. Sucking on ice chips lowers nerve ending temperatures in your throat to reduce painful signals to the brain.

Humid air can help your throat stay moist, so use a humidifier in your home at night to use moisture as medicine against itchy throat symptoms caused by colds or Group A Strep pharyngitis. Moist air also can provide relief for hoarse throat caused by flu viruses.

Avoid Smoking

Chemicals found in tobacco smoke irritate the delicate tissues lining your throat, which may reduce cough intensity, cause increased mucus production and paralyze cilia that catch pathogens and particles in your throat – leaving you vulnerable to viruses such as Strep throat.

Air pollution and smog exposure can irritate the throat lining. This is especially prevalent in large cities and near industrial factories. People with seasonal allergies may notice persistent throat irritation during warmer weather when pollen counts increase significantly.

Acquiring ample rest, gargling with salt water, drinking cold liquids, sucking on throat lozenges or sprays containing ingredients such as menthol or eucalyptus and using humidifiers are all ways of helping relieve sore throats. In some cases, painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen may be useful as well. If a sore throat persists for several days after trying these methods, visit a healthcare provider; they will perform a physical examination and possibly swab the throat to determine what type of infection has taken hold.