Honey safer cure than antibiotics for coughs and colds, research says
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cough remedy |
"Use
honeys for a cough first, suggest new guidelines," states the BBC,
referring to new guidance on the proper ways to treat severe short-term cough.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Public Health England (PHE) guidelines were developed by looking at the best scientific evidence
Evidence has shown that honey may be effective in reducing acute cough symptoms due to upper respiratory tract infections (airway infections), including how often people cough and how bad their cough was. The advice refers to adolescents and adults over age 5. It is necessary to remember that honey is not healthy for children below a minimum of one year age.
Most
sudden coughs are viral infections that become self-limiting and can get
improved by themselves. Antibiotics are not effective in treating viral
infections, but can still cause unwanted side effects. Antibiotics will only be
used if people are very ill or have an increased risk of complications due to
underlying health conditions such as cystic fibrosis. Importantly, we should
only use antibiotics if they are needed. Increasing resistance to antibiotics
may mean that we may not benefit from these treatments in the future.
Do not prescribe antibiotics for cough
Antibiotics can be used for the treatment of bacterial infections. But most acute coughs are caused by viruses that do not need antibiotics or respond to them. Even if someone has a bacterial infection, these can sometimes clear up without having to take antibiotics.
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| OTC DRUGS |
If antibiotics are used for acute cough, as NICE says, they don't significantly differentiate how severe the symptoms are, or how long they last. Antibiotics can also have side effects that some people may find disagreeable.
Antibiotics
can be used only when the infection is viral and does not go away on its own.
It's essential only to use antibiotics when necessary. This is because bacteria are beginning to develop antibiotic resistance, which means these medications are no longer functioning as they used to. The more we use them, the bigger the problem is.
While
researchers are attempting to develop new antibiotics, resistance is growing
faster than new treatments we can find. The risk is that we could reach a point
where we no longer have adequate medicines for treating infections. Even
standard procedures, such as surgery, could become riskier in the future.
Why
do you choose honey?
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| Honey as a ingredient in tea |
NICE and PHE found evidence from 3 randomized controlled trials, all of which looked at children and young people using honey. Two of the studies contrasted it with no care, and one required "supportive treatment" where available, including saline (saltwater), nose drops, liquid water, and paracetamol.
Children
given honey coughed less often in all cases and had fewer severe coughs than
those receiving treatment. No study found any difference in sleep quality either
for the children or their adult careers. The quality of the evidence found has
been categorized as low to moderate.
Recent research has led NICE and PHE to say that honey can be used to alleviate cough symptoms but only in people over the age of 1 year. Kids under the age of 1 should not be given this because of the risks of infant botulism (a rare and extreme form of food poisoning that can affect babies). The guideline also noted that honey is a drug and can, therefore, present a risk of decay in the tooth.
How to handle a cough with honey?
Although there are many over-the-counter cough medicines which include honey, you can also mix it at home with hot lemon to get a similar effect:
- · Press
half a lemon into a saucepan of boiled water
- · Add
1 to 2 Honey Teaspoons
- · Drink
while still warm (don't give the little ones hot drinks)
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