Flu symptoms: This Morning’s Dr Zoe says THIS won’t help your throaty cough
FLU symptoms include a sore throat, aching muscles and throaty cough, however the latter is unlikely to be cured by codeine according to This Morning’s Dr Zoe Williams.
'Poor thing' Holly sympathises with May after coughing ordeal
The flu and cold season is well under way, with many in the UK likely to already be experiencing common winter illness symptoms.
These include Theresa May who suffered with a sore throat and cough while making a speech at the Conservative Party conference yesterday.
The Prime Minister’s cold was the chief topic of conversation during ITV’s This Morning’s ‘Second Opinion’ segment earlier today.
Dr Zoe Williams told presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby that there wasn’t really anything she could have done to suppress her symptoms.
Flu symptoms: Dr Zoe Williams on This Morning said codeine won't help
Flu symptoms: Theresa May suffered with a cold through a speech yesterday
Coughing during a cold is your body trying to eject something from your airways.
“Coughing during a cold is your body trying to eject something from your airways,” she explained.
“Beyond drinking hot water, there aren’t really any drugs you can take.”
Schofield asked whether codeine might have helped the Prime Minister.
“Not really - it won’t work on a throaty cough like that,” Dr Zoe replied.
Flu symptoms: Coughing during a cold is your body trying to expel something
Codeine has been a common ingredient in cough medicines for years.
However, research back in 2006 by the University of Manchester indicated that it does not relieve a cough better than a placebo.
Additionally, research by Cardiff University in the same year found that cough medicines probably work due to a sweet taste and a placebo effect, with the medicine component only accounting for 15 per cent of the reduction in coughing.
They looked at 60 over-the-counter sweet cough syrups, where 58 contained a sweetener such as sucrose, glucose, honey, or treacle.
Flu symptoms: Codeine is an ingredient in many cough syrups
Dr Zoe’s co-presenter Dr Sara Kayat added on today’s show that honey, lemon and ginger could help those with a cold.
Additionally, consuming chicken soup may be an effective remedy.
A study by the University of Nebraska discovered that it acts as an anti-inflammatory and it speeds up the discharge of mucus.
Ingredients common in chicken soup include onions, sweet potato, carrots, celery and parsley in addition to poultry.