10 Top Home Remedies for a Sore Throat

Hey.. so an old neighbor when I was a kid would take iodine and paint the back of my throat with it.. always worked and still does... Try that... It tastes awful but it works... Get the long qtips.

I use Goldenseal when I have a sore throat. My grandmother used to get it in powder. She would put a tiny bit into the end of a straw and blow it down my throat.

I use it differently. I take a Golden Seal Capsule, open it up, put it into a cup of boiling water and let it steep for ten minutes. I then pour it through a coffee filter and put it into a bottle with a dropper, and then use a dropper full down my throat.

I warn you that it tastes really bad, but it has always worked for me. You can also use this solution on a bad tooth. It will get rid of the infection.

One really important warning. If you are taking other medications, Golden Seal will rid your body of them, so don't use it if you are on heart medication or other life-giving medication.

Great discovery! And, glad you're all better! Another suggestion would be to get some liquid Oil of Oregano. Put a couple of drops in some water and use it to rinse out your mouth and as a gargle. Here's the EC link: https://www.earthclinic.com/supplements/oregano-oil.html

If you juice 12 of a cup of lime and little by little you let it stay in your throat as long as you can and then swallow it will also give you great results.

I just drank a cup of plain black tea. Have a few times before. My Throat was so painful I didn't dare speak. I drank a cup earlier this morning and again when I woke(rested)at 12 pm. First cup removed most of pain, second, more plus I have my spark back. Simple to soothe if you have it. Worth a try. I also recommend going outside if not too cold. Sunshine and fresh air can do wonders. When I lived in Az. it was one of my healing tiers.

After two days of using raw minced garlic and honey and the cayenne pepper and Apple Cider Vinegar remedy, I tried the castor oil pack. It worked amazingly well. Glands are still swollen but my throat feels so much better.

Tonic water with Q has always worked for my sore throats, great to read not the only one.

I suffered from recurring sinus infections for the past few years. They would last months. Three weeks ago, I opted to have sinus surgery, a septoplasty, and turbinate reduction. The recovery has been absolutely miserable all around. About a week and a half after the surgery, I woke up with the worst sore throat imaginable. The doctor said I had a throat infection of some sort post-op and put me on Biaxin. Four days on that, and it got worse and worse. Then my doctor switched me to Augmentin. For three days I took that, and nothing helped. I also gargled salt water daily and it didnt help at all.

Last night, I woke up with my throat almost completely swollen shut and inflamed and it felt like I was swallowing glass. I dreaded swallowing and couldn't even manage water. I went to the ER and was there for several hours. The only answer they had was narcotics and to send me home with more narcotics and steroids to reduce swelling. I was in tears because I had no answer for what was wrong, I couldn't just take narcotics to mask the pain and the antibiotics were not working and I had been suffering already for nearly ten excrutiating days. Three doctors and no solution.

I came home and began to research relief for severe sore throats and stumbled across the cayenne pepper recipe on this site. I was intrigued but also nervous it would just exacerbate the pain given my luck lately. After debating for about an hour, I decided I couldn't bear the throat pain another second. I gargled the first time and the most nasty things came out of my throat. I repeated the gargling process for about ten minutes. There was relief but I was skeptical it was just numb from the burning of the hot pepper. About two hours later, my throat was somewhat better so I gargled again. More productive phlegm and dried blood. I gargled a third time this evening and still had productive phlegm come out, however, I have absolutely no more throat pain!!!! To think, this was all it took after almost ten days of needless drugs and misery. The throat still feels a little raw from the "trauma" when I drink any acidic juices, but I am 100% feeling better in the throat region. Now if only there were magic home cures for the sinus surgery recovery - congestion, sinus headaches, swelling, constant post nasal drip.

Hi Annelle:)

Surely you do not mean you ingested 6 teaspoons of cayenne pepper in one dose, 4 teaspoons cinnamon?? Half a teaspoon of cayenne would burn out my stomach. This sounds like a recipe fit for constipated elephant. I am not intending to be rude. Please clarify if you truly ingested that amount of spice at one time??

Apple Cider Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide cure for Sore Throat

The last two times I woke up and had a sore throat coming on strong, I used the following method to relieve it overnight. Do this once in the morning, once in the mid-day, and once before bead. And repeat the following day after throat is feeling better.

1. Use Hydrogen Peroxide 3% (any generic brand) as a gargle, make use to gargle enough to get both sides of the tonsils! You can dillute with equal parts water, just make sure to gargle about a half cup if you do (ex: gargle a little, spit, and repeat until gone)

2. Use Hydrogen Peroxide 3% to clean/disinfect ears. (I read somewhere that most viral/bacterial illnesses start in the ears and that if not treated there will persist for days) Clean ears out as good as possible with cotton swab/q-tip. Take a dropper or use the cap and put a good splash (3 drops or so)of Hydrogen Peroxide in each ear, tilting your head and letting it fizz in your ear for about 2 or 3 minutes (on each side). I read that you should not do this if you have tubes in your ear! You can also use a cotton swab/q-tip soaked in peroxide to clean ears if uncomfortable with the first method (which is preferred).

At this point I like to repeat the gargle just to make sure I got it all.

Lastly, Take 2-3 TBL ACV (preferrably organic but it doesn't matter) and 1 TBL Honey (preferrably raw and unfiltered but it doesn't matter) and add to about 1/4 to 1/3rd cup of water (preferrably warm). Take a few big gulps, and some little ones and get it on tonsils. With last swallow gargle it before swallowing.

This covers and eliminates the infection in the throat, the mouth, and the ears.

I have tested this method twice with success. It is rather inexpensive and works great! And it takes about 5 to 10 minutes 3 times a day. The only nagging problem is the congestion which I just use some vapor rub on my chest, throat, and under my nose to get some relief.

I am a singer, and had lost my singing voice for about 3 months--no pain--just couldnt' sing. Dr. diagnosed me with acid reflux, and put me on Prilosec OTC. I recovered in a short amount of time. Evidently, when we sleep some of the acid comes up in our throats and harms the vocal cords. Interesting stuff--I didn't even know I had acid reflux. hope this helps!

I used the idea of Jess J of Boca Raton, Florida, only I upped the dose of cayenne pepper to 1/2 a teaspoon.

1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons of honey
12-16 ounces of hot water
And a teabag of your choice for flavor.

I barely took a sip because I thought it would burn or taste terrible, but it really didn't! It was a subtle spicy and it tingled and felt really good. I barely took a sip, and already I could feel my voice coming back (I had a horrible sore throat, in which it hurt to swallow etc) It didn't immediately cure the hurting to swallow, but I've still got a whole cup to go. I think it'll help. Thanks Earth Clinic and everyone for posting these remedies!

I use this method all the time but I stretch my tongue side to side instead. As a child I was told to do this by an ENT specialist. It helps with tense muscles in the neck as well.

Yes I agree, it is a must to take the acidophilus when you are on antibiotic treatment, the key however, is to take it between doses of the antibiotic, for at least as long as you are on the treatment and longer if you desire. If you have been on previous/numerous antibiotics you could take the acidophilus as a daily supplement.

I have had a sore throat for a couple of weeks now. Woke up at 3:30am and the sore throat was much worse!!! I already had some VCO in the frig but I didn't have cloves. But, I did have ground clove spice. I took about a spoon full of VCO and sprinkled ground clove spice all over the spoon full of VCO. I let the VCO / clove spice just melt in my mouth and it made me feel much better. Thx!

I was having a problem with a sore, red and painful throat. I tried cayenne, a strong colloidal silver spray and salt. I used these separately and jointly. I used them through gargling and with a neti pot. They helped for a part of a day, then I would feel that pain again. This is what worked for me: 2 bunches of green onions tossed into a blender with just enough water to get a pudding consistency. I would "gargle" with this 3 times a day. That means I would kind of pour it in the back of my throat, make some gargling sounds and then spit it out. It worked when all else failed. Onions are known for being antibacterial and green onions seem to be the most potent.

Omg.. the pickle juice and pickle helped me immediately. Thank you

Go into any good store an buy some tonic water (the yellow label) and make sure it says with quinine at the bottom. Drink this and when you throat feels painful and it will ease the pain instantly. Drink whenever pain returns.

I am so excited to share this with you, my dad is a health guru, and I was feeling pretty crappy last night, the pain was so bad in my throat I was tearing up, and I was finding it soo hard to swollen and I just couldn't fall to sleep with the pain. I knew I needed something healthy in my system to repair me. So I wrote on a piece of paper (as it hurt so badly to talk) please make me a magic drink dad.. I didn't really think it would take away my pains and allow me to sleep but I did think that all the healthy stuff my dad would put in it would help me to recover quicker. My dad never gets sick because every day he has drinks like the one I'm about to share with you! But OH MY did it take my pain away and make me feel AMAZINGLY better!!!! I can talk, I can swallow, the pain is barely there, I do have to have this drink about every 3 hours to keep the pain down, when I'm awake but I just sip slowly :) the drink last night relieved the pain through the night. But then I woke up I definitely felt better but symptoms were slowly coming back. So I repeated the drink and wal-ar I feel amazing again! :) so here it is! Pleeeease try it you'll be amazed!! Try using all organic ingredients if you can!!

Fresh *garlic* clove chopped up really small, lump of fresh *ginger* chopped up small, flat teaspoon of powdered *cayenne pepper* (or as much as u can handle, teaspoon of *tumeric* powder, teaspoon of *cinnamon* powder, table spoon or two of *apple cider vinegar* (or as much as u can handle) spoonful of *raw honey*, squeezed *lemon juice* mix all that together with 8oz hot water let it sit for a few mins to all infuse. If you're not used to cayenne pepper like I'm not, at first it will burn your throat a little, but to me it actually felt good, coz I feel like I was attacking the pain. :) sip slowly and after a few mins of sipping you will start to feel relief :) stir in between sips when lumps of garlic and ginger settle to the bottom, try and swallow all the ingredients down. I swear this is the best remedy I have ever tried! It started last night and im now on my first day I'm interested on seeing how quickly I recover from all this goodness I'm feeding my body!! :) My mom is making me a homemade organic soup of carrot and ginger puree, it sounds soo good :) I'm excited!! I'm a lucky one to have my family look after me when I'm sick, I'm 23 and still loving the love ;) hope this helps a lot of you like it did me!! Also if you get a chance look up the book by Louise Hay, "You Can Heal Your Life" it talks about the reasonings behinds coughs, colds, sore throats, and other ailments :) love and good healing energy to you all!! Xoxo

My grandmother told me she got this remedy from her mother and passed it down to me: whiskey, honey, and lemon. Use equal parts of each and mix together. It may not sound like the most appealing thing out there, but I promise it will relieve any sore throat!

I am a big tea drinker and when my throat started to become sore I went to my lemon tea. Then I read about the cayenne and was curious... So I mixed some things together and created the best hot drink for a cold and or sore throat. Here it is:

1 lemon (squezze as much juice as you can out of that lemon.)

1 lemon tea (I used Lemon Youkou from Teavana)

1 peppermint tea (again from Teavana)

some natural honey

1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper powder

It's the best cup ever. It clears out my nose and helps my throat. I love this drink now. And would recomend it to anyone. Unless you are alergic to one of the ingredients in which case I would say not to try this... ;-)

If I ever have a sore throat or just need a boost, I LOVE this recipe.

Boil 1.5 cups water

add fresh grated ginger (I used about 3 Tablespoons)

add fresh garlic (2-3 cloves chopped)

add cayenne (to taste, I use a lot)

add turmeric

add fresh lemon (whole, then throw peal in there)

add about 1 tablespoon honey or agave.

This is a great detoxifier and a sore throat cure!

Worked Temporarily

PEANUT BUTTER
Out of curiosity, I tried eating a spoonful of chunky peanut butter to soothe my sore throat, and it worked! It lasted at least 1/2 an hour, but that's longer than any cough drops, tea, honey, or apple cider vinegar that I've tried. Half an hour isn't that long, but most of the scratchiness and soreness went down and continued for awhile after. It's a lot of calories, but if you're sick you probably won't be eating much, so won't be a problem. This is probably a good solution to do when your throat hurts really bad, between cough drops or tea, etc.

HARD LIQUOR
I've also found that drinking a shot of cheap alcohol, the kind that 'burns' as it goes down, works really well at numbing the throat. Either drink or gargle a shot's worth (or add it to warm water with salt).

Developed a sore throat after getting wet in the rain, because I (foolishly) kept my wet shoes on at work in the air conditioning. When I got home I boiled 4 cloves of garlic (crushed), 6 teaspoons of cayenne powder, and a tablespoon of peeled, sliced ginger. I let it cool, and because it was such a hot concoction, I put it in my blender with one cucumber, 4 teaspoons of cinnamon powder and a stick of celery. Also half a carrot for taste. Added an additional 1/2 cup of water, blended it and drank. Within 2 hrs, my sore throat was 95% gone. A 2nd dose will definitely get rid of the sore throat 100%.