Honey and over-the-counter remedies should be a patient’s first attempt to treat a cough, according to new health guidelines.
“If someone has a runny nose, sore throat and cough we would expect the cough to settle over 2 -3 weeks and antibiotics are not needed.
“If the cough is getting worse rather than better or the person feels very unwell or breathless then they would need to contact their doctor.” says Dr Tessa Lewis, GP and chair of the NICE antimicrobial prescribing guideline group.
“We are keen to highlight that in most cases, antibiotics will not be necessary to treat a cough.”
Honey and cough medicines containing pelargonium, guaifenesin or dextromethorphan have some evidence of benefit for the relief of cough symptoms.
Dr Susan Hopkins, states: “Antibiotic resistance is a huge problem… Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them puts you and your family at risk of developing infections which in turn cannot be easily treated.”
Professor Mark Baker, director of the centre for guidelines at NICE said: “We are keen to highlight that in most cases, antibiotics will not be necessary to treat a cough.”
An antibiotic may be necessary for acute cough when a person has been identified as being systematically unwell or those are at risk of further complications (for example, people with a pre-existing condition such as lung disease, immunosuppression or cystic fibrosis).
The guideline was developed with Public Health England to help manage common infections and prevent antimicrobial resistance.
