Sore Throat - Treatment

Medicines

You can take medicines to relieve the pain of a sore throat, or to treat the underlying cause.

Over-the-counter medications that relieve throat pain include:

acetaminophen (Tylenol)

ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)

aspirin

Don’t give aspirin to children and teenagers, as it’s been linked to a rare but serious condition called Reye’s syndrome.

You can also use one or more of these treatments, which work directly on the pain of a sore throat:

a sore throat spray that contains a numbing antiseptic like phenol, or a cooling ingredient like menthol or eucalyptus

throat lozenges

cough syrup

Shop for throat lozenges.

Shop for cough syrup.

Some herbs, including slippery elm, marshmallow root, and licorice root, are sold as sore throat remedies. There’s not much evidence these work, but an herbal tea called Throat Coat that contains all three did relieve throat pain in one study (7Trusted Source).

Shop for Throat Coat herbal tea.

Medications that reduce stomach acid can help with a sore throat caused by GERD. These include:

Antacids such as Tums, Rolaids, Maalox, and Mylanta to neutralize stomach acid.

H2 blockers such as cimetidine (Tagamet HB), and famotidine (Pepcid AC), to reduce stomach acid production.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as lansoprazole (Prevacid 24) and omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid OTC) to block acid production.

Shop for antacids.

Low-dose corticosteroids can also help with the pain of a sore throat, without causing any serious side effects (8Trusted Source).

SUMMARY:

Over-the-counter pain relievers, sprays, and lozenges can relieve the pain of a sore throat. Medicines that reduce stomach acid can help with sore throats caused by GERD.

When you need antibiotics

Antibiotics treat infections caused by bacteria, like strep throat. They won’t treat viral infections.

You need to treat a strep throat with antibiotics to prevent more serious complications like pneumonia, bronchitis, and rheumatic fever. Antibiotics can reduce sore throat pain by about one day, and lower the risk of rheumatic fever by more than two-thirds (9).

Doctors usually prescribe a course of antibiotics lasting about 10 days (10Trusted Source). It’s important to take all of the medication in the bottle, even if you start to feel better. Stopping an antibiotic too early can leave some bacteria alive, which can make you sick again.

SUMMARY:

Antibiotics treat sore throats caused by bacteria, such as strep throat. You need to treat strep throat to prevent more serious complications. Take the entire dose of antibiotics, even if you start to feel better.

The bottom line

Viral and bacterial infections, as well as irritants and injuries, cause the majority of sore throats. Most sore throats get better in a few days without treatment.

Rest, warm liquids, saltwater gargles, and over-the-counter pain relievers can help soothe the pain of a sore throat at home.

Strep throat and other bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics. Your doctor can use a swab test to find out if you have strep.

See a doctor for more severe symptoms, like trouble breathing or swallowing, a high fever, or a stiff neck.

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