I've had this annoying cough for a week now and my grandma keeps insisting I drink hot ginger and honey. She says it works better than any cough syrup, but honestly I don't know if it's just old wives' tale stuff or if there's actually something to it. Has anyone here used it and actually seen results?
Your grandma is kind of right, but it's not quite that simple. Ginger with honey really does have properties that help relieve cough, it's just that it doesn't work like an actual cough syrup. Honey has a soothing effect on the throat and ginger has anti-inflammatory properties, so when you take it hot, it really does calm things down. Now, "better than any cough syrup" is kind of an exaggeration. It works well for simple irritation and dry cough, but if your cough has been going on for a week, maybe it's good to see a doctor to rule out something more serious.
I myself when I have an irritating cough make this at home and it really does help ease the discomfort, especially at night to sleep better. The thing is you need to drink it nice and hot, and ideally don't drink anything really cold right after. Fresh ginger works way better than the powdered kind. We usually heat water, grate a piece of fresh ginger, let it sit for a few minutes and then add honey when it's warm (don't put it in boiling water because that destroys the properties). I drink it without straining, with grated ginger floating around and everything.
But look, a week is quite a long time for a cough. If it doesn't get better in a few more days or if it gets worse, it's worth getting checked out to make sure it's nothing more annoying. Sometimes it's just irritation, but it's better to check. Otherwise, you're good to try your grandma's recipe, there's zero risk and at least it eases the discomfort while you recover.
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