As sore throats are caused by bacterial or viral infections, they can be difficult to prevent.
If you have a sore throat caused by an infection, you can help prevent the infection spreading by:
- washing your hands regularly and properly, particularly after touching your nose or mouth and before handling food
- always sneezing and coughing into tissues, then throwing away the used tissues and washing your hands
- cleaning surfaces regularly to keep them free of germs
- not sharing cups, plates, cutlery or kitchen utensils with others
- using disposable paper towels to dry your hands and face, rather than shared towels, and then disposing of the paper towels after you have finished using them
Giving up smoking
If you smoke, giving up will reduce irritation to your throat and strengthen your defences against infection.
The NHS Smoking Helpline can offer you advice and encouragement to help you quit smoking. You can call the helpline free of charge on 0800 022 4 332 or visit the NHS Smokefree website.
Your GP or pharmacist will also be able to give you help and advice about giving up smoking, or you can read the Health A-Z topic about Quitting smoking.
