# Sore throat (from a cold) treatments that are scientifically proven? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 25, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621 "2014-11-25T19:25:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/1 "2014-11-25T19:25:11Z")
There are all kinds of sore throat treatments out there. Everyone seems to have their own favorite. Drink hot tea. Gargle with salt water. Use these cough drops. Use chloroseptic. Drink hot lemonade. Avoid cold liquids. Hot water with maple syrup and lemon. Gargle with Listerine. Horehound drops. Throat lozenges. Most of these have the “old wive’s tale” or “in my experience” tinge to them. Is there any sore throat treatment for a cold that has been scientifically proven to be effective (or at least useful) to treat a sore throat (and the cough that the sore throat generates)? I’ve been home with a cold for the last couple of days. I’ve tried: room temperature water Hot tea with honey and lemon Cold Diet Coke Sugar-free cough drops. Of these, the one that seems to be the most effective is the diet Coke. Cough drops seem to be the least effective. But in general, any time there is liquid flowing over my throat, it seems to be soothed a little. So what does science say about this? Thanks, J. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/2 "2014-11-25T20:04:46Z")
Gargle every couple of hours with warm salt water. This will work quite quickly, you’ll see. Just gargle, don’t drink it! ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/3 "2014-11-25T20:06:21Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Gargle every couple of hours with warm salt water. This will work quite quickly, you’ll see. Just gargle, don’t drink it! Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/4 "2014-11-25T20:40:21Z")
[UpToDate.com](http://UpToDate.com), the medical clearinghouse of info, notes this about analgesia for pharyngitis: > [@](#): > > Data examining treatments for symptomatic management of acute pharyngitis in adults are limited. Local therapies, in the form of lozenges, sprays, or teas, have the advantage of direct application to the affected area and minimal toxicity risk. Analgesics (aspirin, acetaminophen, and nonsteroidal antiinflammatories) have also been shown to provide for pain relief, and ibuprofen appears to be somewhat more effective than acetaminophen. We recommend that patients with pain related to acute sore throat be advised to use a systemic analgesic (Grade 1B). This may reasonably be supplemented by a topical preparation; the choice of topical or systemic analgesic agent can be determined by patient preference. Me? I use Tylenol or Motrin for my systemic treatment, and use some lidocaine or benzocaine topically. When that is unavailable, or fails to adequately relieve my symptoms, I gargle with salt water. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/5 "2014-11-25T21:21:42Z")
I grew up with the salt-water gargle, too, although IME it seems most helpful to ward off a sore throat that’s just getting started (that “Uh, oh, I’m about to get sick” feeling) rather than addressing the pain once it’s good and underway. Always chalked that up to the salt helping kill off the germs, but that could just be the old wive’s tale part of it. (I think I read around here that it has more to do with the salt doing … something … via osmosis. Can’t recall the details ATM.) A couple people I know add baking soda to the salt water when gargling. Anyone heard of that or know why – or if – it would help? I’ve found pectin drops help minor throat irritation (for ex. being at a smoky bar or concert) due to the coating action, but they don’t do much for pathogen-induced sore throats. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/6 "2014-11-25T21:44:07Z")
I gargle with baking soda myself, it seems to help. Of course it could just be the relief of spitting out the vile-tasting water itself at the end… ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/7 "2014-11-26T01:01:12Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > I gargle with baking soda myself, it seems to help. Of course it could just be the relief of spitting out the vile-tasting water itself at the end… While I appreciate the reply, I’m not really looking for an “X works for me…” type of answer. I’m looking for science-based information. What has been shown to work, or not work, in studies. Thanks, J. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/8 "2014-11-26T01:19:43Z")
Well, chloroseptic is a topical analgesic. It literally numbs your throat. For extreme pain, it definitely takes the edge off. It’s not a cure, though, and the relief is temporary. I only use it for the most extreme cases, as the taste and sensation are deeply unpleasant to me. Cough drops are supposed to work by creating a coating over the irritated mucus membranes. I think most available brands are basically mentholated candy, but I personally find actual honey-based drops at least temporarily effective. And delicious. If your cough is accompanied with chest congestion, clearing that congestion will improve your cough frequency. Guaifenesin (Mucinex in the US) is a common drug that works well. Inhaling vapor off boiling water can work wonders for me, but I cannot cite any research there. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/9 "2014-11-26T01:30:04Z")
Licorice root, as a tea, available readily as “Throat Coat” actually has [some evidence](http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/10755530360623400) behind it. > [@](#): > > … Multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, two-armed, parallel-group clinical trial. … Compared to placebo, intensity of throat pain when swallowing was significantly reduced by Throat Coat in intention to treat and valid for efficacy analysis (VEA). Significant differences in change from baseline pain were observed at 5 min (p = 0.007), 10 min (p = 0.005), 15 minutes (p = 0.01), 20 minutes (p = 0.05), and 30 minutes (p = 0.04) after completion of the first dose … This study shows that Throat Coat is significantly superior to placebo and provided a rapid, temporary relief of sore throat pain in patients with pharyngitis It helps [prevent post-operative sore throats](http://journals.lww.com/anesthesia-analgesia/Abstract/2009/07000/An_Evaluation_of_the_Efficacy_of_Licorice_Gargle.13.aspx) as well. It seems that active portion for the local anti-inflamatory effects may be something called [glabridin](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23850540). All of which is great news if you like the taste of licorice but people are somewhat divided on that and I doubt the effect is so huge that it is worth forcing it down if you hate it. Me? Licorice root tea with honey? Love it. Please note: in large quantities it can function like a hormone that regulated potassium levels and blood pressure (aldosterone) so in moderation and with caution if you have blood pressure and/or kidney/electrolyte issues. ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/10 "2014-11-26T01:34:40Z")
My mother always said that if you have a cold and treat it it will go away in about a week and if you do nothing it will last 7 days or so. ---
**Author:** ![EdwinAmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@EdwinAmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwinAmi)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/11 "2014-11-26T01:42:40Z")
any thick hot liquids. Like soup. My Uncle once made a cow-hoof soup, and incidentally I did also get sick that week. Though at first I was so sick that just eating was making me sick, only later did the soup help my throat. Oh, and by cow hoof I mean like he literally boiled the cow shank with the hoof on and made, well, essentially glue. The soup was thick and hot and sticky. This is some kind of Iranian remedy ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/12 "2014-11-26T07:41:06Z")
> [@jharvey963](#): > > Gargle with Listerine. [Gargoyle with Listerine.](http://thumbs.worthpoint.com/ebfqctUrg7oHbO5nsecEybGXgmA=/400x0/images/images1/1/0113/18/1_b272bb954d653fb0ab5761f60b0ce8b1.jpg) And have some CHICKEN SOUP! ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/13 "2014-11-26T14:01:23Z")
> [@DingoelGringo](#): > > My mother always said that if you have a cold and treat it it will go away in about a week and if you do nothing it will last 7 days or so. We know that. The question here: How to you relieve symptoms until the cold goes away? Qadgop recommended analgesics; Ibuprofen works for me & apparently for anyone who can take it. Chloroseptic is nasty but will definitely numb the pain. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/14 "2014-11-26T14:20:55Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > [UpToDate.com](http://UpToDate.com), the medical clearinghouse of info, notes this about analgesia for pharyngitis: > > Me? I use Tylenol or Motrin for my systemic treatment, and use some lidocaine or benzocaine topically. When that is unavailable, or fails to adequately relieve my symptoms, I gargle with salt water. Tylenol and NSAIDS have lots of scientific evidence to back up the fact that they relieve pain. In my personal experience, Tylenol works better on throat pain than NSAIDS. If you are coughing, you are probably repeatedly irritating your throat, so a cough suppressant might help. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/15 "2014-11-26T16:56:36Z")
I know your looking for science, not anecdote. Sorry. In this layman’s opinion, there are (at least) 3 causes of sore throat:[ul][li]Infection at the site producing inflammation.[/li][li]Mechanical damage to the throat mucus membranes caused by frequent coughing.[/li]Mechanical damage to the throat mucus membranes caused by frequent swallowing of nasal & sinus secretions.[/ul]So in each of these cases, the sore throat symptom is a consequence of an upstream cause. Particularly for the latter two, reducing the upstream cause by whatever symptom reliever works best for you is far more effective that trying to reduce the soreness directly. Once you’ve addressed these up-stream causes, \*then \*the rest of the thread’s advice becomes more likely to be effective. ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/16 "2014-11-27T01:06:42Z")
Well, it helps to have good oral hygiene. A thorough tooth clean and mouth wash will get rid of a lot of the gungy feeling. After that, gargle with an aspirin in half a cup of water and swallow when done. Tastes nasty but the aspirin reduces the swelling and acts as an analgesic. Gargling via this method allows you to reach the very back of the throat. Relief can be almost instant. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/17 "2014-11-27T01:26:50Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > the aspirin reduces the swelling It generally takes regular dosing for at least a few days, if not weeks, before the anti-inflammatory effects of aspirin and other NSAIDs begin to occur. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/18 "2014-11-27T01:43:40Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > It generally takes regular dosing for at least a few days, if not weeks, before the anti-inflammatory effects of aspirin and other NSAIDs begin to occur. 😃 Reminds me of that line: “Miracle Cure!!! Just take my special tonic at a mere $999, and in 7 - 10 days, your cold will be completely gone!!!” 😃 J. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/19 "2014-11-27T14:21:31Z")
> [@jharvey963](#): > > 😃 Reminds me of that line: “Miracle Cure!!! Just take my special tonic at a mere $999, and in 7 - 10 days, your cold will be completely gone!!!” Do you truly doubt that aspirin is an anti-inflammatory medication? How about other drugs in that class? The effectiveness of NSAIDs in reducing inflammation is quite real, and well-demonstrated scientifically. Its effect is just not immediate, contrary to the assumptions of many. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621/20 "2014-11-27T16:30:10Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Do you truly doubt that aspirin is an anti-inflammatory medication? How about other drugs in that class? > > The effectiveness of NSAIDs in reducing inflammation is quite real, and well-demonstrated scientifically. Its effect is just not immediate, contrary to the assumptions of many. No, I have no doubt about the medicine or your information. In fact, you have given the most scientific information in this thread. I was just making a joke because your description of how it worked reminded me of the statement that I gave. I put the “big grin” smileys around it to show that I was making a joke, not a serious statement. Sorry if there was any misunderstanding. Thanks, J. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sore-throat-from-a-cold-treatments-that-are-scientifically-proven/705621.md?page=2)