Sore Throats: What Might Actually Help, and When to See a GP

Sore throats are one of those things almost everyone deals with at some point, usually at the most inconvenient time. Based on years of hearing from customers about what they find helpful — alongside general, well-established self-care advice — here's an honest look at what might help, and what to watch out for.

What usually causes a sore throat?

Most sore throats are caused by common cold and flu viruses, and they tend to clear up on their own within about a week. Other things that can contribute include:

• Smoking, which irritates the back of the throat
• Allergies, including to pet hair or dander
• Straining your voice from shouting or talking loudly
• Dry air, particularly in centrally heated rooms during winter
• Occasional acid reflux after rich or acidic meals — if this happens often or is severe, it's worth discussing with your GP rather than self-treating

There are also less common but more serious causes, such as tonsillitis or, rarely, something more serious. If you have any concerns, or your sore throat hasn't improved after around a week to two weeks, please see a GP or pharmacist.

What might help while you wait it out

None of the below are treatments or cures — they're comfort measures that many people find helpful while a sore throat runs its course:

• Over-the-counter pain relief, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, used as directed, can help with the discomfort. This eases the pain rather than treating the underlying cause.
• A warm salt water gargle — a teaspoon of salt dissolved in warm water, gargled and spat out (not swallowed) — is a widely recommended, simple self-care measure for a scratchy throat.
• A warm drink with honey. This isn't just an old wives' tale. NICE's guidance for managing an ordinary cough actually lists honey as a self-care option worth trying, for adults and children over 12 months old. A Cochrane review of the trial evidence found honey probably reduces how often you cough compared with no treatment at all, and in a few of the reviewed trials it appeared to work about as well as some over-the-counter cough medicines containing dextromethorphan — a few trials even found it helped people sleep better. A simple version: a mug of warm (not boiling) water, a spoonful of honey stirred through, and a squeeze of fresh lemon if you have one to hand. NHS self-care guidance mentions a warm lemon-and-honey drink for exactly this reason. To be clear about what this evidence does and doesn't say: the trials are rated low-to-moderate quality, not gold-standard, and this is guidance about comfort and cough frequency — not a claim that honey fights the infection itself, which it doesn't once swallowed.
• Keeping your throat moist — sucking on a boiled sweet or sugar-free lozenge, or chewing gum, to encourage saliva.
• Staying well hydrated, particularly with water, to help stop your throat and airway from drying out further.

Reducing how often you get them

• Stay hydrated throughout the day, not just when your throat already feels sore
• Try to keep the air in your home from getting too dry, especially in winter
• If smoking is a factor, cutting down or quitting is likely to help throat irritation generally, alongside the many other health benefits
• If reflux-type symptoms are a recurring trigger for you, speak to your GP about managing that properly, rather than just treating the sore throat that follows

When should you see a GP?

• Your sore throat hasn't improved after a week to two weeks
• You have a high temperature, or feel generally very unwell
• You have difficulty swallowing or breathing
• You notice a rash, or swelling in your neck
• Sore throats keep coming back frequently

What people ask us most

Does Manuka honey kill the infection?

No — we can't make that claim, and it wouldn't be accurate. Any antibacterial properties that have been studied relate to laboratory research on the honey itself, not to what happens once it's swallowed. A warm honey drink may feel comforting, but it isn't treating the infection causing your sore throat.

Are throat lozenges any better?

Lozenges, including honey-based ones, work mainly by keeping your throat moist and encouraging saliva production, which plenty of people find soothing in the moment. They're a comfort measure, in the same way sucking any sweet can be, rather than a treatment for the underlying cause.

Does the NHS actually recommend honey?

For coughs, yes — as one self-care option among several, not a replacement for seeing a doctor if things don't improve. NICE guidance on managing an acute cough lists honey for adults and children over 12 months, based on Cochrane-reviewed trial evidence described as low-to-moderate quality. That's a genuine, citable recommendation from a public health body — not us dressing up a marketing claim as medical advice.

A simple option, if you'd like something to keep nearby

If you like the idea of something to reach for when your throat feels scratchy, our Wedderspoon Manuka Honey Drops are a popular choice for that reason alone — a bit of comfort, not a cure.

→ View our Wedderspoon Manuka Honey Drops – Ginger & Echinacea

Our honest take

Most sore throats are down to a virus, will pass within a week or two, and respond best to simple comfort measures alongside time. We'd rather tell you that honestly than suggest any product — including our own — can kill the infection for you.