Self care methods including taking honey and over-the-counter remedies are appropriate for easing coughs and antibiotics should not be issued as first line of treatment, as they are unlikely to work and increase the risk of antimicrobial resistance. This is according to new draft guidelines on acute coughs from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Public Health England (PHE).

The draft guidelines state that honey and cough medicines containing pelargonium, guaifenesin or dextromethorphan have some evidence of benefit for the relief of cough symptoms and patients should be advised to see a GP if symptoms last for longer than three weeks.

Commenting on the draft guidelines, Professor Mark Baker, director of the centre for guidelines at NICE said: “This guideline gives health professionals and patients the information they need to make good choices about the use of antibiotics. We encourage their use only when a person is at risk of further complications.”