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My child has a sore throat – what should I do?
A sore throat is common and usually gets better on its own within a week. Here is how to help your child feel better and when to get medical help.
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What it is
A sore throat is a painful, dry, or scratchy feeling in the throat, especially when swallowing [6]. It is usually caused by viruses like cold or flu, or by smoking [2]. Less often, bacteria cause it [2]. Other causes include tonsillitis, strep throat, laryngitis, glandular fever, and allergies [2][3].
Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils at the sides of the throat [1]. It is common in children, but teenagers and adults can get it too [1]. Symptoms of tonsillitis can feel like a bad cold or flu, with red and swollen tonsils [1]. Signs in children and adults include a sore throat, problems swallowing, a high temperature, coughing, a headache, feeling and being sick, earache, and feeling tired [1]. More severe symptoms can include swollen, painful glands in the neck, pus-filled spots or white patches on the tonsils, and bad breath [1].
Children with a sore throat may also have a high temperature and appear less active [6]. Other symptoms include redness in the back of the mouth, a mild cough, and swollen neck glands [6].
What you can do at home
Sore throats normally get better by themselves within a week [7]. Tonsillitis usually gets better on its own after a few days, but it can last longer [8]. To help soothe the throat and shorten how long it lasts, you can [7][8]:
- Give plenty of water or cool drinks to drink [7][8]
- Offer cool or soft foods, like 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 [7]
- Encourage rest [7][8]
- Avoid smoking or smoky places [7]
- Give paracetamol or ibuprofen – do not give aspirin to children under 16 [8]
- Gargle with warm salty water – but children should not try this [7][8]
To make the salt gargle, dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water [7][8]. Gargle with the solution, then spit it out – do not swallow it [7][8]. Repeat as often as you like [8]. Young children should not gargle with salty water [8].
A pharmacist can also give advice and suggest treatments like lozenges containing a local anaesthetic, antiseptic, or anti-inflammatory medicine, throat sprays, or antiseptic solutions [4].
When to see a doctor or go to the emergency department
See a GP if the symptoms of tonsillitis do not go away within 1 week, or if you keep getting throat infections [4].
Get urgent medical advice if your child has pus-filled spots on their tonsils, or a sore throat so painful it is difficult to eat or drink [4].
Call your emergency number or go to the emergency department immediately if your child has [5]:
- A severe sore throat that quickly gets worse
- Swelling inside the mouth and throat
- Difficulty speaking
- Cannot swallow
- Difficulty breathing
- Difficulty opening the mouth
These are signs of quinsy, a rare complication where an abscess forms between the tonsils and the throat wall [5]. Do not drive to the emergency department – ask someone to drive you or call your emergency number for an ambulance [5].
Common questions
Is tonsillitis the same as a sore throat?
No. A sore throat is a symptom that can have many causes, including tonsillitis [2]. Tonsillitis is a specific infection of the tonsils [1].
Does my child need antibiotics?
Most children get viral tonsillitis, which clears up on its own [10]. For bacterial tonsillitis, a GP may prescribe antibiotics, but they will usually wait for test results first [10]. A doctor can tell if it is tonsillitis by asking about symptoms and looking in the throat, and may do a swab test or blood test [9].
Will my child need surgery to remove their tonsils?
It is very rare that someone needs their tonsils removed [10]. This is usually only done if there is severe tonsillitis that keeps coming back [10].
Sources
[1] NHS — “Tonsillitis” (2024), section “Tonsillitis”, p. 1 — https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tonsillitis/ [2] NHS — “Sore throat” (2023), section “Causes of sore throats”, p. 1 — https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sore-throat/ [3] MedlinePlus — “Sore Throat” (2025), section “Introducción”, p. 1 — https://medlineplus.gov/sorethroat.html [4] NHS — “Tonsillitis” (2024), section “A pharmacist can help with tonsillitis”, p. 1 — https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tonsillitis/ [5] NHS — “Tonsillitis” (2024), section “Complications of tonsillitis (quinsy)”, p. 1 — https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tonsillitis/ [6] NHS — “Sore throat” (2023), section “Sore throat symptoms”, p. 1 — https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sore-throat/ [7] NHS — “Sore throat” (2023), section “Sore throat”, p. 1 — https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sore-throat/ [8] NHS — “Tonsillitis” (2024), section “How to treat tonsillitis yourself”, p. 1 — https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tonsillitis/ [9] NHS — “Tonsillitis” (2024), section “What happens at your GP appointment”, p. 1 — https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tonsillitis/ [10] NHS — “Tonsillitis” (2024), section “Treatment from a GP for tonsillitis”, p. 1 — https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tonsillitis/
This guide summarises published paediatric guidelines. It is not medical advice and does not replace your paediatrician. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
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