Throat problems that interfere with singing

After developing a very sudden sore throat this afternoon, I thought I'd raise the question about throat problems and how it or they can interfere with your singing and what do you do for a sore throat. My problem today was pretty much just an afternoon thing and a good cup of hot tea and a cinnamon hard candy took care of most of it. Still feels funny swallowing, but that should be eased off by tomorrow.

What I did was strain my vocal chords by screaming at my cat who had decided to attack me. He got three blood drawing bites in, before my scream, screech, or audition for a slasher movie made him back off. Scared my husband who was down stairs and couldn't see why I gave such a loud piercing scream.

But what if it's a cold, flu or strep. Do you have any home remedies that you use to calm the scratching, irritated surfaces of your throat? As I've mentioned I start with a hot drink and then a hard cinnamon or peppermint candy to suck on.