The health expert appeared on BBC’s Morning Live to share the information with viewers
Health expert Dr Xand has shared vital advice during today’s episode of BBC Morning Live (Jan 19) to anyone suffering from a nasty cough. The segment of the talk show focused on coughs and colds, as new research has found that human rhinovirus can also cause pneumonia in adults.
Speaking to presenters Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones, Dr Xand, who specialises in public and global health, explained the warning signs to watch out for that mean a cough should be taken seriously. He said a symptom of pneumonia is a persistent cough.
Gethin asked: “A cough is common with many illnesses, so the big question is when do you know it’s really serious?” Dr Xand replied: “It’s a big question and loads of people will be sitting at home right now going, ‘tell me, is this serious?’ Because coughs can go on for a very long period of time.
“So you can get viruses like respiratory syncytial virus, RSV, which is the sort of famously the ‘hundred-day’ cough and you could be hacking away thinking, ‘what is this?'” Dr Xand went on to give viewers a timeframe to keep in mind when suffering from a cough that is backed by the NHS.
“So the NHS advice is to go and talk to your doctor if your cough is persistent for more than three weeks,” he said. “And I think that’s pretty reasonable. The NHS also notes that a cough can go on for sort of three or four weeks. But if it’s getting better, you’ll sort of know. But lots and lots of things can cause a cough at the moment, most commonly it’s a virus.”
What is Dr Xand’s cough syrup alert about?
Issuing an alert to people watching from home about cough syrup, Dr Xand stressed what the NHS’ latest guidance is and urged people to consider a more natural remedy instead, which can be ‘just as good’. “The NHS itself does not recommend cough syrup”, he said. “It recommends lemon and honey.”
On the official NHS website, it says: “Hot lemon with honey has a similar effect to cough medicines.” Hot lemon with honey can be just as soothing as some cough medicines, especially for dry coughs.
It works by coating the throat, helping reduce irritation and calming the cough reflex. Some studies even suggest it can be as helpful as certain over-the-counter medicines, particularly for kids over one year old. However, it’s important to note that it doesn’t actually cure the root problem.
What do cough syrup studies show?
Many cough experts say that the majority of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines are not worth the money. Studies, such as those from the Cochrane Collaboration, show they don’t work much better than a placebo for short-term coughs in both adults and kids.
Even though these medicines might help soothe your throat or give you some temporary relief, ingredients like suppressants (dextromethorphan) and expectorants (guaifenesin) usually don’t do better than a sugar pill. Many of the positive results come from the placebo effect or the body’s own healing process.
Instead, it’s often better to use simpler remedies like honey, staying hydrated, and taking pain relievers (like paracetamol or ibuprofen). It’s also important to remember that most coughs caused by colds just need time to get better.
What else did Dr Xand say?
Sharing the warning signs people with a cough should look out for, Dr Xand said: “The red flags of a cough are really worth talking about. So high fever or chills, shortness of breath, particularly short of breath. Number one should be short of breath without a good explanation. You know, you should be able to breathe normally.
“Any chest pain associated with a cough, if your mucous production is very thick and hard to move, or if you are getting extremely worn out. And we can move from those red flags, which should already be making you think you need some medical help through to the serious warning symptoms.
“Now, these will sound a bit more dramatic, but actual trouble moving air in and out, your lips going blue, perhaps your extremities, your fingertips going blue, suggesting you’re not getting enough oxygen, confusion or mental changes in alertness, a high fever that won’t come down for a long period of time, a rapid heart rate.
“It is really important to say, and I’ve had this in my own family, you can go from someone sort of going, I’ve got a cough, I’m not feeling amazing, I’ve got a bit of a fever and you suddenly think, wow, this person hasn’t got out of bed all day and in fact yesterday they were in bed too and they’ve gone grey, they’re blue, they look terrible.
“Pneumonia you can sort of slip under quite gently. It’s not a dramatic illness but it can be fatal. So really important to keep an eye on the symptoms and make sure if people are getting worse you seek medical help early.”
