How to treat bronchitis with honey?

The most common symptom of bronchitis, whether acute or chronic, is a cough. Acute bronchitis causes a cough that doesn't go away for more than three weeks. Meanwhile, chronic bronchitis causes a cough that occurs continuously every day, for up to three months.

In acute bronchitis, medical treatment is said to be not completely effective in treating the condition. Often times, acute bronchitis resolves on its own. This is because acute bronchitis is often caused by a virus.

Therefore, many people are looking for other alternatives to reduce the discomfort caused by their symptoms. One way to treat the symptoms caused by bronchitis is to drink honey.

Honey has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine. Apart from containing fructose carbohydrates and glucose as the main components, honey contains many beneficial substances that are antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, and anticancer properties.

Recognize the efficacy of honey to relieve cough during bronchitis

Quoted from the website of public health services in the United Kingdom, the National Health Service (NHS), how to treat symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, including bronchitis, with honey is proven to be effective. This also applies to frequent and severe coughs.

The Mayo Clinic says drinking tea or warm lemon water mixed with honey is a way that is believed to be effective in relieving sore throats. However, honey taken by mouth can also be an effective cough suppressant.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Clinic says tea with honey is an old classic remedy for treating colds. However, these natural remedies do little to clear your cough, but they can relieve the sore throat that often accompanies them.

Some studies suggest that honey is a more effective way to treat cough, which is the main symptom of bronchitis, than drugs like dextromethorphan and diphenhydramine. The research was conducted on children and parents.

A study published in the National Library of Medicine showed that drinking 2.5 ml of honey before bed had a more cough-relieving effect. However, this study focuses on coughs that become upper respiratory infections.

Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Public Health England (PHE) state that honey is good for consumption for adults and children over 5 years. Regardless of how to treat bronchitis symptoms with honey, it is important to note that this natural ingredient is not safe for children under one year of age. Honey may contain bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which can cause serious infections in the baby.

Apart from honey, what are the natural ingredients that can treat bronchitis symptoms?

Bronchitis is a condition that can interfere with your activities by causing a cough for weeks, even after the infection clears. Therefore, you need to take quick steps.

Apart from honey, there are several other natural methods or ingredients that you can try to both relieve and treat cough symptoms due to bronchitis. Some of them, namely:

Pineapple to relieve cough with phlegm
Ginger to soothe inflamed airways
Garlic to inhibit the viruses that cause bronchitis
Turmeric to overcome irritation and increase endurance

Treatment of bronchitis, whether medical or non-medical, aims to relieve symptoms, prevent bronchitis complications, and slow the progression of the disease. Even so, make sure you don't use honey or any other natural ingredients as the main and only way to treat bronicitis.

Talk to your doctor about the right treatment, including if you decide to use honey or other natural ingredients to relieve symptoms of bronchitis.