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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffMost sore throats go away without treatment, often within a week or so. That's a good thing, because no medical therapy exists for sore throats caused by viral infections. But increasing your fluid intake and getting extra sleep can help speed your recovery.
When you're sick, choose fluids such as water, soups and broths — not sodas or drinks that contain caffeine, which can dehydrate you further. If you find it extremely painful to swallow, try sipping warm broth through a straw or sucking on ice chips. You may also find that gelatin (such as Jell-O) is easy to swallow.
Treating bacterial infections
At one time, doctors automatically treated all sore throats with antibiotics, both to cure the infection and to prevent dangerous complications such as rheumatic fever. Now, doctors are much less likely to prescribe antibiotics because the overuse of antibiotics has led to an alarming increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Most importantly, most cases of sore throat are not caused by bacteria, so antibiotics won't help.
If your doctor does recommend antibiotics for you or your child, take the entire course of medication, even if you or your child feels better. This helps prevent the infection from coming back. It also prevents bacteria from becoming resistant to the medication. If children on antibiotic therapy feel well and don't have a fever, they often can return to school or child care when they're no longer contagious — usually 24 hours after beginning treatment.
