Common questions our doctors are asked
My child’s cough is keeping them awake at night. What can I do?
If they are over 12 months, consider giving them some honey to soothe the irritation in their throat. If your child coughs mainly at night and less during the day, this may represent asthma and should be investigated by your GP.
Is it OK to send my child to school if they have a cough?
If your child is unwell with a fever, runny nose and cough it is best to keep them home and reduce the chance of spreading their infection to others. However, a cough can last for many weeks after your child has recovered from their infection, and there is no need to keep them home from school for that long. A cough may also represent something else, like asthma, which does not require school exclusion.
There are a lot of different cough medicines in the pharmacy. Do they work?
Some cough medicines work by thinning the mucus produced in the airway. Others reduce your natural cough reflex or may contain similar ingredients to anti-histamines. However, there is no scientific evidence that cough medicines will be helpful, and some may have unwanted side effects, like constipation. Cough medicines should not be used in children younger than six years old, and only used in children over six on the advice of a health professional.