The Medical Advisor

Introduction: Why Post-Infectious Cough Is So Difficult to Treat A cough that lingers for weeks after a respiratory infection is one of the most common — and frustrating — clinical complaints in primary care. Known medically as post-infectious cough , it often persists for 3–8 weeks after a viral upper respiratory infection. Patients are typically otherwise well. Chest X-rays are normal. Inflammatory markers are unremarkable. Yet the cough remains. In many cases, physicians prescribe expectorants such as Guaifenesin or short courses of corticosteroids like Prednisolone. In 2013, a randomized trial published in a journal of the Primary Care Respiratory Society reported something unexpected: A honey and coffee preparation reduced cough severity more than prednisolone over one week. The finding sparked attention. But does it hold up mechanistically? Clinically? Biologically? This article explores: The pathophysiology of post-infectious cough How prednisolone works — and where it falls s...

Honey is a sweet food and medicine that nature has gifted us. Its history of medicinal use can be traced back 8,000 years . Sometimes, the therapeutic effects of honey surpass even those of medications, particularly its outstanding antibacterial and antiviral properties. Honey’s Antibacterial Properties Are Superior to Antibiotics’ “Bacteria quickly learn how to fight off the effects of the antibiotic drugs, but they don’t have honey resistance,” Nural Cokcetin, a research fellow at the Australian Institute for Microbiology and Infection in the science faculty at the University of Technology Sydney, said in an interview with The Epoch Times. Related:  Honey Laundering: Is Your Honey Real or Fake ? Honey has been used to treat skin problems and wound infections for thousands of years . For instance, ancient Greeks and Egyptians would apply honey topically to the skin to treat wounds and burns . Honey’s effectiveness in treating wounds and eczema was also documented in Persian tradit...