At-home remedies to make your sore throat feel better.

1. 5 Ways to Soothe a Sore Throat
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2. Simple Steps to Sore Throat Relief
Waking up to a scratchy throat and painful swallowing is a bad way to start the day.
Unfortunately, the majority of sore throats are the result of a virus, which means you’ll have to
wait it out until your body can fight off the infection. But that said, there are a handful of ways to
lessen your pain.
One quick note: See a doctor if your sore throat lasts longer than a week or you have other
symptoms (earache, fever, joint pain or difficulty swallowing, breathing or opening your mouth).
For everyone else, check out these DIY remedies to help feel relief fast.
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3. Gargle.
Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a
glass of warm water and gargle with it
for 30 seconds to calm inflamed tissues
in your throat. A study published in the
American Journal of Preventative
Medicine found that gargling salt water
leads to a 40 percent decrease in upper
respiratory tract infections while also
loosening mucus.
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4. Pop a lozenge.
Over-the-counter lozenges that contain
Zinc can help soothe your pain. If your
sore throat is paired with a cough,
honey is a proven suppressant that
coats your throat better—and for
longer—than cough syrup.
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5. Take a pain reliever.
Pain relievers like acetaminophen
(Tylenol) minimize throat pain and
reduce inflammation better than
ibuprofen. Just be careful if you
combine it with other cold
medications—some flu and pain
remedies already pack the pain reliever
and you don’t want to take too much.
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6. Sip a hot drink.
Research from the Common Cold
Center at Cardiff University found that a
hot drink—not one at room
temperature—“provided immediate and
sustained relief” from a sore throat and
other cold and flu symptoms. Caffeine-
free tea, clear broth and other hot
drinks will do the trick. Just be sure to
avoid a hot toddy or coffee—alcohol
and caffeine will dehydrate you and
make symptoms worse.
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7. Inhale some steam.
A hot shower can thin secretions and
the steam can reduce swelling in your
airways. One other note about focusing
on what you’re breathing in: Be sure to
avoid cigarette smoke and cleaning
products. Inhaling those fumes can
irritate an already swollen throat.
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This information is for educational purposes only. The content is not a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a
physician or other qualified health provider with any questions about a medical
condition, or before beginning any new diet or exercise regimen. Use of information in
this presentation is the sole risk of the user.

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