NHS website

Sore throats are very common and usually nothing to worry about. They normally get better by themselves within a week.

How to treat a sore throat yourself

To help soothe a sore throat and shorten how long it lasts, you can:

gargle with warm, salty water (children should not try this)
drink plenty of water
eat cool or soft foods
avoid smoking or smoky places
suck ice cubes, ice lollies or hard sweets – but do not give young children anything small and hard to suck because of the risk of choking
rest

How to gargle with salt water

Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water – warm water helps salt dissolve.
Gargle with the solution, then spit it out – do not swallow it.
Repeat as often as you like.

To help relieve the pain and discomfort of a sore throat, you can:

use paracetamol or ibuprofen
use medicated lozenges or anaesthetic sprays (although there's little proof they help)

You can buy them from a supermarket or from a pharmacist without a prescription.

your sore throat does not improve after a week
you often get sore throats
you're worried about your sore throat
you have a sore throat and a very high temperature, or you feel hot and shivery
you have a weakened immune system – for example, because of diabetes or chemotherapy

A severe or long-lasting sore throat could be something like strep throat (a bacterial throat infection).

GPs do not normally prescribe antibiotics for sore throats because they will not usually relieve your symptoms or speed up your recovery.

They'll only be prescribed if your GP thinks you could have a bacterial infection.

You or your child:

These symptoms can make breathing more difficult.

Sore throats are usually caused by viruses (like cold or flu) or from smoking. Very occasionally they can be caused by bacteria.

Symptoms include:

The symptoms are similar for children, but children can also get a temperature and appear less active.

Conditions that can cause a sore throat