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Alternative medicine

By Mayo Clinic staff

Although a number of alternative treatments are commonly used to treat sore throat, evidence is limited about what works and what doesn't. Check with your doctor before using any herbal remedies, as they can interact with prescription medications and may not be safe for children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions.

Herbal or alternative products for sore throat are often packaged as teas, sprays or lozenges. Common alternative remedies include:

  • Slippery elm
  • Sage
  • Licorice root
  • Marshmallow root
  • Honeysuckle flower and other Chinese medicine herbs
Prevention Lifestyle and home remedies
References
  1. Sore throats. American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/soreThroats.cfm. Accessed Feb. 26, 2013.
  2. Pharyngitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec08/ch089/ch089e.html. Accessed Feb. 26, 2013.
  3. Gereige R, et al. Throat infections. Pediatrics in Review. 2011;32:459.
  4. Hay WW, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Pediatrics. 20th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=14. Accessed Feb. 26, 2013.
  5. Chiappini E, et al. Analysis of different recommendations from international guidelines for the management of acute pharyngitis in adults and children. Clinical Therapeutics. 2011;33:48.
  6. Regoli M, et al. Update on the management of acute pharyngitis in children. Italian Journal of Pediatrics. 2011;37:10.
  7. Frye R, et al. Which treatments provide the most relief for pharyngitis pain? The Journal of Family Practice. 2011;60:293.
  8. Honeysuckle. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed July Feb. 26, 2013.
  9. Huang Y, et al. Chinese medicinal herbs for sore throat. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004877.pub3/abstract. Accessed Feb. 26, 2013.
  10. Renner B, et al. Environmental and non-infectious factors in pharyngitis (sore throat). Inflammation Research. 2012;61:1041.
  11. Acute pharyngitis in children 2-18 years old. National Guideline Clearninghouse. http://www.guideline.gov/content.aspx?id=25757&search=acute+pharyngitis. Accessed Feb 26, 2013.
DS00526 May 7, 2013

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