Sore throat

Sore throats can be painful and annoying, but are generally not serious.  If your sore throat lasts for more than a week or two, and is very painful, do book an appointment with the doctor, but in the meantime try some of these:

Honey drinks

The NHS advice is that honey is the best cure. It’s also important to drink lots of fluids when you have a sore throat – here are some of our favourite ideas for honey drinks:

Make a classic honey and lemon drink with hot water.

Dissolve a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a tablespoon of honey in a mug of hot water.

Infuse some sage leaves in hot water, and add honey.

For ginger tea, peel and grate some fresh ginger.  Pour over boiling water and leave to steep for 10 minutes.  Strain if you prefer, then add honey and lemon to taste.

Cinnamon is a traditional remedy for sore throats in Chinese medicine. Try popping a stick of cinnamon into your cup of tea.  Peppermint and camomile tea can both help fight infection, so are a good choice.

Gargle

Gargle with salt water – dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a mug of hot water and gargle for 30 seconds once an hour

Soft or hard foods? 

Most advice suggests avoiding hard, crunchy food like toast, and instead eating soft foods like soup and smoothies.  Personally, I prefer the feeling of rough food, as it seems to scrape away the germs…

Humidifier

Dry air can make a sore throat feel worse.  Central heating dries out the air in our houses just when sore throats are most likely to strike.  If you don’t have a humidifier, try taking a hot, steamy shower.  Houseplants also increase the humidity levels in your home, or you can just put a bowl of hot water in the room where you are sitting.

Self-Care

Find the NHS Self-Care factsheet for sore throats here.