What is the fastest way to relieve a sore throat caused by "heatiness"?
Dec 01, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Sun Lianqing
Introduction
There is generally no "fastest solution" for a sore throat caused by excessive internal heat ("shang huo"), and effectiveness varies from person to person. Relatively quicker remedies include sucking on heat-clearing and throat-soothing lozenges, drinking warm or cool honey water, gargling with saline solution, taking traditional Chinese medicine with heat-clearing and anti-inflammatory effects, and applying cold compresses locally to the throat. Lozenges containing ingredients such as watermelon frost and menthol are recommended, as they act directly on the throat mucosa during sucking.
Generally, there is no "fastest solution" for a sore throat caused by excessive internal heat (commonly known as "fire rising" in traditional Chinese medicine), and effectiveness may vary from person to person. Relatively quick relief methods include sucking on heat-clearing and soothing throat lozenges, drinking warm or cool honey water, gargling with saline solution, taking heat-clearing and anti-inflammatory traditional Chinese medicine, and applying cold compresses to the throat area. Specific details are as follows:
1. Sucking on heat-clearing and soothing throat lozenges: Choose lozenges containing ingredients such as西瓜霜 (Xigua Shuang) and menthol. When sucked slowly, these dissolve directly on the throat mucosa, quickly relieving pain, providing a cooling and moisturizing effect, and reducing the burning sensation. One tablet at a time, taken as directed daily, can improve discomfort within a short period.
2. Drinking warm or cool honey water: Honey has moistening and heat-clearing properties, while warm or cool water reduces irritation to the throat. Dissolve an appropriate amount of honey in warm or cool water and drink it to soothe and hydrate the throat lining, alleviating dryness-related pain. Drink 150–200 ml per serving, 3–4 times daily, for rapid symptom relief.
3. Gargling with saline solution: Saline helps clean bacteria and secretions from the throat area, reducing inflammatory irritation. Take an appropriate amount of saline into the mouth, tilt your head back to allow the liquid to contact the throat, hold for 10–15 seconds, then spit out. Repeat 3–4 times daily to quickly reduce throat swelling and pain.
4. Taking heat-clearing and anti-inflammatory traditional Chinese medicine: Choose herbal preparations containing ingredients like honeysuckle (Jinyinhua) and skullcap (Huangqin), such as Pudilan Xiaoyan Oral Liquid or Lanqin Oral Liquid. These medicines help clear heat and reduce inflammation, alleviating throat inflammation caused by "heatiness." Taken at the recommended dosage, they typically begin to relieve pain within 1–2 hours.
5. Applying cold compresses to the throat: Wrap an ice pack or cold towel in a cloth and apply it to the outer skin of the throat. The low temperature helps constrict blood vessels in the throat area, reducing swelling and pain. Apply for 10–15 minutes each time, repeating every 1–2 hours as needed, to rapidly ease throat discomfort.
During symptom relief, avoid spicy or excessively hot foods to minimize throat irritation. If symptoms do not improve after 1–2 days of using the above methods, or if difficulty swallowing or fever develops, seek medical attention promptly. In daily life, drink plenty of warm water to keep the throat moist and prevent worsening symptoms.
