How to get rid of throat bacteria

Sore throats are very common and usually nothing to worry about. They normally get better by themselves within a week.

Table of Contents Show

How to treat a sore throat yourself
Video: how to treat a sore throat
A pharmacist can help with sore throats
Antibiotics
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
Immediate action required: Call 999 if:
Sore throat symptoms
Causes of sore throats
Symptoms of Sore Throat
Symptoms of Strep Throat
When to Seek Medical Care
How to Feel Better
Over-the-Counter Medicine and Children
How do you get rid of a bacterial infection in your throat?
What is the fastest way to get rid of a throat infection?
What causes bacterial infection in throat?
Will bacterial throat infection go away?

How to treat a sore throat yourself

To help soothe a sore throat and shorten how long it lasts, you can:

gargle with warm, salty water (children should not try this)
drink plenty of water
eat cool or soft foods
avoid smoking or smoky places
suck ice cubes, ice lollies or hard sweets – but do not give young children anything small and hard to suck because of the risk of choking
rest

If you have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to do your normal activities, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until you feel better.

How to gargle with salt water

Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water (warm water helps salt dissolve).
Gargle with the solution, then spit it out (do not swallow it).
Repeat as often as you like.

Video: how to treat a sore throat

This video shows you how to treat a sore throat.

Media last reviewed: 1 June 2020
Media review due: 1 June 2023

A pharmacist can help with sore throats

You can ask a pharmacist about ways of relieving the pain and discomfort of a sore throat, such as:

paracetamol or ibuprofen
medicated lozenges containing a local anaesthetic, antiseptic, or anti-inflammatory medicine
anaesthetic spray (although there's little proof they help)

You can buy these treatments from a supermarket or from a pharmacist without a prescription.

Information:

Call your pharmacy or contact them online before going in person. You can get medicines delivered or ask someone to collect them.

Find a pharmacy

Antibiotics

You do not normally need antibiotics for a sore throat because they will not usually relieve your symptoms or speed up your recovery.

They'll only be prescribed if a GP thinks you could have a bacterial infection.

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

your sore throat does not improve after a week
you often get sore throats
you're worried about your sore throat
you have a sore throat and a very high temperature, or you feel hot and shivery
you have a weakened immune system – for example, because of diabetes or chemotherapy

A severe or long-lasting sore throat could be something like strep throat (a bacterial throat infection).

Immediate action required: Call 999 if:

You or your child:

have difficulty swallowing or breathing
are drooling – this can be a sign of not being able to swallow
are making a high-pitched sound as you breathe (called stridor)
have severe symptoms and are getting worse quickly

Sore throat symptoms

If you have a sore throat you might have:

a painful throat, especially when swallowing
a dry, scratchy throat
redness in the back of your mouth
bad breath
a mild cough
swollen neck glands

The symptoms are similar for children, but children can also get a temperature and appear less active.

Causes of sore throats

Sore throats are usually caused by viruses (like cold or flu) or from smoking. Very occasionally they can be caused by bacteria.

A sore throat can also be caused by:

laryngitis
tonsillitis
strep throat (a bacterial throat infection)
glandular fever

Page last reviewed: 05 February 2021
Next review due: 05 February 2024

Is it painful to swallow? Or is your throat scratchy? A virus may be causing your sore throat.

Most sore throats, except for strep throat, do not need antibiotics.

Causes

Causes of sore throat include:

Viruses, like those that cause colds or flu
The bacteria group A strep, which causes strep throat (also called streptococcal pharyngitis)
Allergies
Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke

Of these, infections from viruses are the most common cause of sore throats.

Strep throat is an infection in the throat and tonsils caused by bacteria. These bacteria are called group A Streptococcus (also called Streptococcus pyogenes).

Symptoms of Sore Throat

A sore throat can make it painful to swallow. A sore throat can also feel dry and scratchy. Sore throat can be a symptom of strep throat, the common cold, allergies, or other upper respiratory tract illness. Sore throat caused by a virus or the bacteria called group A Streptococcus can have similar symptoms.

Sometimes the following symptoms suggest a virus is causing the illness instead of Strep throat:

Cough
Runny nose
Hoarseness (changes in your voice that makes it sound breathy, raspy, or strained)
Conjunctivitis (also called pink eye)

Symptoms of Strep Throat

The most common symptoms of strep throat include:

Sore throat that can start very quickly
Pain when swallowing
Fever
Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus
Tiny red spots on the roof of the mouth
Swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck

Sometimes someone with strep throat also has a rash known as scarlet fever (also called scarlatina).

When to Seek Medical Care

Talk to your doctor if you or your child have symptoms of sore throat. They may need to test you or your child for strep throat.

Also see a doctor if you or your child have any of the following:

Difficulty breathing
Difficulty swallowing
Blood in saliva or phlegm
Excessive drooling (in young children)
Dehydration

Joint swelling and pain
Rash

This list is not all-inclusive. Please see your doctor for any symptom that is severe or concerning.

See a doctor if symptoms do not improve within a few days or get worse. Tell your doctor if you or your child have recurrent sore throats.

Treatment

A doctor will determine what type of illness you have by asking about symptoms and doing a physical examination. Sometimes they will also swab your throat.

A virus causes the most common type of sore throat and is not strep throat.

Only 3 in 10 children with a sore throat have strep throat.
Only about 1 in 10 adults with a sore throat has strep throat.

A healthy throat and a sore throat, including uvula and tongue, showing inflamed tonsils.

baby icon Talk to a healthcare professional right away if your child is under 3 months old with a fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher.

Since bacteria cause strep throat, antibiotics are needed to treat the infection and prevent rheumatic fever and other complications. A doctor cannot tell if someone has strep throat just by looking in the throat. If your doctor thinks you might have strep throat, they can test you to determine if it is causing your illness.

Anyone with strep throat should stay home from work, school, or daycare until they no longer have fever AND have taken antibiotics for at least 12 hours.

If a virus causes a sore throat, antibiotics will not help. Most sore throats will get better on their own within one week. Your doctor may prescribe other medicine or give you tips to help you feel better.

When antibiotics aren’t needed, they won’t help you, and their side effects could still cause harm. Side effects can range from mild reactions, like a rash, to more serious health problems. These problems can include severe allergic reactions, antibiotic-resistant infections and C. diff infection. C. diff causes diarrhea that can lead to severe colon damage and death.

How to Feel Better

Some ways you can feel better when you have a sore throat:

Suck on ice chips, popsicles, or lozenges (do not give lozenges to children younger than 2 years).
Use a clean humidifier or cool mist vaporizer.
Gargle with salt water.
Drink warm beverages and plenty of fluids.
Use honey to relieve cough for adults and children at least 1 year of age or older.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist about over-the-counter medicines that can help you feel better. Always use over-the-counter medicines as directed.

Over-the-Counter Medicine and Children

Carefully read and follow instructions on over-the-counter medicine product labels before giving medicines to children. Some over-the-counter medicines are not recommended for children of certain ages.

Pain relievers:
- Children younger than 6 months: only give acetaminophen.
- Children 6 months or older: it is OK to give acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
- Never give aspirin to children because it can cause Reye’s syndrome. Reye’s syndrome is a very serious, but rare illness that can harm the liver and brain.

Cough and cold medicines:
- Children younger than 4 years old: do not use over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in young children unless a doctor specifically tells you to. Cough and cold medicines can result in serious and sometimes life-threatening side effects in young children.
- Children 4 years or older: discuss with your child’s doctor if over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are safe to give to your child.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the right dosage of over-the-counter medicines for your child’s age and size. Also, tell your child’s doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter medicines they are taking.

Prevention

You can help prevent sore throats by doing your best to stay healthy and keep others healthy, including:

Clean your hands.
Avoid close contact with people who have sore throats, colds, or other upper respiratory infections.
Don’t smoke and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.

How do you get rid of a bacterial infection in your throat?

In most cases, antibiotics will quickly wipe out the bacteria causing the infection..

Get plenty of rest. ... .

Drink plenty of water. ... .

Eat soothing foods. ... .

Gargle with warm salt water. ... .

Honey. ... .

Use a humidifier. ... .

Stay away from irritants..

What is the fastest way to get rid of a throat infection?

Lifestyle and home remedies.

Rest. Get plenty of sleep. ... .

Drink fluids. Fluids keep the throat moist and prevent dehydration. ... .

Try comforting foods and beverage. ... .

Gargle with saltwater. ... .

Humidify the air. ... .

Consider lozenges or hard candy. ... .

Avoid irritants. ... .

Stay at home until you're no longer sick..

What causes bacterial infection in throat?

Strep throat is caused by infection with a bacterium known as Streptococcus pyogenes, also called group A streptococcus. Streptococcal bacteria are contagious. They can spread through droplets when someone with the infection coughs or sneezes, or through shared food or drinks.

Will bacterial throat infection go away?

If your sore throat is caused by a virus, it will likely go away on its own in 4 to 5 days. If you have strep throat, which is caused by bacteria, it will likely go away on its own in 3 to 7 days.