Consumer Health: Calming your cough with honey

It’s cold and flu season, and one symptom of both illnesses is a cough.

In some cases you may need to seek medical care for a cough. In other cases, such as when cough is acute, causes a lot of discomfort or interferes with sleep, you may want to consider using cough medicines.

Otherwise, self-care measures may ease your cough and help you feel more comfortable. One such measure is honey. Drinking tea or warm lemon water mixed with honey is a time-honored way to soothe a sore throat. But honey alone may be an effective cough suppressant, too.

Learn more about calming your cough with honey from Dr. Pritish Tosh, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases physician.