Sore throats are very common and usually nothing to worry about. They normally get better by themselves within a week.
To help soothe a sore throat and shorten how long it lasts, you can:
To help relieve the pain and discomfort of a sore throat, you can:
You can buy them from a supermarket or from a pharmacist without a prescription.
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.