Is hot or cold drinks better for a sore throat

Q: Are hot drinks really good for sore throat?

You can soothe a sore throat as follows: Its very important to stay hydrated, even though it hurts. Drink water, tea (herbal or decaf), broth, soup, and non-caffeinated sports drinks e.g. Gatorade. Hot tea with lemon and honey can help.

Rest your body – and your voice

Sore throats are very common and usually get better by themselves within a week. Getting a good night’s sleep always helps to help fight off infection. The NHS advises those with a sore throat to stay well hydrated, although hot drinks should be avoided. Sucking on ice cubes, ice lollies or hard sweets can soothe the inflammation.

Ease the discomfort with over-the-counter options

If you feel uncomfortable, take paracetamol or ibuprofen. There are also medicated sore-throat lozenges and anaesthetic sprays available over the counter that claim to target pain in the throat with anti-inflammatories. The NHS cautions that “there’s little proof they help”, but a 2011 study of two different kinds of medicated lozenge found they brought relief and eased soreness and difficulty swallowing within minutes; effects lasted up to two hours post-dose.

Make your own gargle

Gargling with warm salt water may help to reduce inflammation. (It is not recommended for children.) Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of partly cooled boiled water, gargle with the solution, then spit it out. Repeat as necessary. “It’s inexpensive and everyone can do it at home – I recommend this to most patients,” says Abraham Khodadi, a prescribing pharmacist who vlogs weekly about health on YouTube as Abraham the Pharmacist.

Don’t assume you need antibiotics

Most sore throats are caused by a virus, so they cannot be treated by antibiotics – even though in many cases they are prescribed anyway. Last year, sore throats accounted for nearly a quarter of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions in England. Such prescriptions contribute to the global threat of antibiotic resistance. US researchers reported in 2013 that, from 1997 to 2010, about 60% of patients with sore throats received antibiotics, even though only about 10% needed them. Viral sore throats are accompanied by other cold symptoms that may include a runny nose, cough, red or watery eyes, and sneezing. The symptoms of streptococcal pharyngitis, “strep throat”, a bacterial infection, are similar, but likely to be more severe, and possibly accompanied by a high temperature or feeling hot and shivery.

Watch for irritants

Smoking cigarettes can cause a sore throat by irritating the windpipe. “When an irritant is introduced in the system, the body tries to get rid of it by coughing, which can result in more inflammation,” says Khodadi. Smoking also lowers immunity, which can lead to recurrent viral and bacterial infection, and weakens the lower oesophageal sphincter between the stomach and oesophagus (or food pipe), causing acid reflux from the stomach, which can irritate the throat. Other causes of a sore throat include pollution or irritants in the air, allergies, dry air, and changes in temperature, such as going from a warm office to the icy outdoors.

Boost your immune system

You can safeguard against sore throats by eating a healthy balanced diet, says Khodadi, as well as by having a flu jab. This should alleviate the need for supplements in otherwise healthy people, he says – although Public Health England has suggested taking a daily vitamin D supplement in winter, which may help to boost immunity.

See a healthcare professional

The NHS and PHE’s new campaign, Help Us Help You, aims to remind people this winter that pharmacists have the right clinical training to respond to the majority of sore throats. Until the end of winter, more than 200 Superdrug pharmacies in Great Britain are also providing a 10-minute, free sore-throat consultation service, which can include a swab test to determine whether the problem is viral or bacterial. Find your closest participating branch online. If your sore throat persists beyond a week or is recurring, see your GP.

The best drinks for a sore throat are soothing beverages like warm water with lemon and honey.
You should also try ginger tea, chamomile tea, or peppermint tea as herbal remedies to soothe your sore throat.
To relieve your sore throat and get key nutrients to boost your immune system, you may also want to try warm soup with chicken and vegetables, or a smoothie with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.
This article was medically reviewed by Jason R. McKnight, MD, MS, a family medicine physician and clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine.

It can be difficult to get rid of a sore throat. However, drinking the right fluids may be all you need to relieve the scratchy, painful feeling. Here are some of the best drinks to soothe your sore throat:

1. Sip warm water with lemon and honey

Any warm beverage can help soothe a sore throat. "Hot water on its own is soothing and can help provide relief for sore throat, cough, and runny nose," says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian in the New York City area.

Drinking warm lemon water may be especially useful when you have a sore throat due to an illness, as it can add a small extra dose of vitamin C to your diet. Vitamin C can boost your immune system and may even help you overcome colds.

Adding honey to your lemon water may also treat a sore throat and cough. For example, a small 2017 study found that honey can help speed up the recovery of a sore throat due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

2. Try ginger tea

Ginger tea may also help soothe a sore throat. In fact, a 2013 study indicated that a hot water extract of fresh ginger might help protect you from the respiratory syncytial virus — a highly infectious virus that commonly affects young children — though more robust human studies are still needed.

"Drinking ginger tea can be beneficial if you're not feeling well," says Gorin. "There's some evidence to show that it can help soothe a sore throat and reduce congestion, but more research needs to be conducted."

3. Drink chamomile tea

If you're not a fan of ginger tea, you may want to opt for chamomile tea, which is made from dried Matricaria flowers. According to Amber Robins, MD, a board-certified family medicine doctor and lifestyle medicine strategist at Camillia Wellness in Maryland, chamomile tea can reduce inflammation in the throat.

Plus, chamomile tea can promote relaxation and help you sleep, which can boost your immune system and help you better recover from illness. People who don't get an adequate amount of sleep may be more likely to get a common cold or other infections.

"As with any warm beverage, your discomfort can be soothed as the steam helps with decongestion," says Taylor Schomaker, RDN, a registered dietitian and owner of Enlightened Nutrition LLC, a nutrition coaching practice based in Michigan. "Chamomile tea is naturally caffeine-free, and some research suggests that chamomile, itself, may help promote sleep and relaxation in the brain."

4. Have peppermint tea

Peppermint tea is another warm beverage that people often turn to when trying to ease sore throat symptoms. This is because it contains spearmint, which has anti-inflammatory effects that can reduce swelling and soothe a sore throat.

Plus, as with any hot beverage, Robins notes that inhaling the steam from peppermint tea can treat other symptoms like congestion.

"Similar to steam from a vaporizer or shower, the steam from peppermint tea can help decrease nasal congestion," Robins says. "This gives you the feeling that you can breathe better."

5. Eat warm soup

Chicken noodle soup is a classic home remedy for common illnesses, and it offers many of the same benefits as hot teas or warm lemon water.

In fact, any kind of warm soup — especially one with healthy protein or vegetables — can be a great way to soothe your sore throat and get some key nutrients when you're feeling sick.

"Broth-based soups are a great way to get a little nutrition into you when you don't feel like eating when you're sick," Gorin says. "I'd go with a soup that has additional ingredients, such as chicken breast, tofu, beans, or veggies."

6. Make a smoothie

When you're sick, you might experience a decreased appetite, says Schomaker. This can make it more difficult to get all the nutrients your body needs to fight off an illness.

That's why a nutrient-packed smoothie makes a great option, as long as you use fruits and vegetables loaded with antioxidants — molecules that may boost our immune system.

Some antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables to add to your smoothies include:

Blueberries
Strawberries
Mangoes
Kale
Spinach

The bottom line

Sore throats are common, especially during cold and flu season. Therefore, finding ways to soothe your throat at home while providing your body with the nutrients it needs to fight an infection is important. Some great drink options for sore throats include hot tea or broth, warm water with lemon and honey, or antioxidant-rich smoothies.

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Ashley Lyles is a graduate of New York University's Science, Health & Environmental Reporting Program. She was the 2017 recipient of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation's Jason Kahn Fellowship in Medical Journalism. Her work has taken her to Honduras, Cambodia, France, and Ghana and has appeared in outlets like The New York Times Daily 360, PBS NewsHour, The Huffington Post, Undark, The Root, Psychology Today, TCTMD, and Tonicamong others.

Do cold drinks make a sore throat worse?

Drinking very cold ice water or sucking on something cold may seem counterintuitive, but cold can numb the throat. But don't choose cold orange juice or other acid-based liquids; they will only intensify the pain.

Is iced or hot better for sore throat?

Warm salt water and hot tea help your throat, but so do cold liquids, ice chips and popsicles. Popsicles are especially helpful for young children - the cold acts as a temporary numbing agent to ease the discomfort. Over-the-counter throat sprays and pain relievers can also help with pain control.

Do hot drinks make sore throat worse?

However, drinking really hot coffee (or consuming really hot anything for that matter) can irritate an already-sore throat. Really hot things are not something you want to risk consuming with a sore throat.

Is warm or hot drinks better for a sore throat?

Water is a good choice, as are warm teas or warm soups. Hot tea or hot soup, however, may actually burn your already sensitive throat and make the problem worse. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can dry you out even more.

Are hot drinks really good for sore throat?

You can soothe a sore throat as follows: It's very important to stay hydrated, even though it hurts. Drink water, tea (herbal or decaf), broth, soup, and non-caffeinated sports drinks e.g. Gatorade. Hot tea with lemon and honey can help.