It's cold and flu season, and one symptom of both illnesses is a cough.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

In some cases you may need to seek medical care for a cough. In other cases, such as when cough is acute, causes a lot of discomfort or interferes with sleep, you may want to consider using cough medicines.

Otherwise, self-care measures may ease your cough and help you feel more comfortable. One such measure is honey. Drinking tea or warm lemon water mixed with honey is a time-honored way to soothe a sore throat. But honey alone may be an effective cough suppressant, too.

It is important to know that children under the age of two should not be given honey.

Learn more about calming your cough with honey from Dr. Pritish Tosh, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases physician.

Food poisoning, also called foodborne illness, is caused by harmful organisms, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites, in contaminated food. Symptoms of food poisoning, which can start within hours of eating contaminated food, often include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Fortunately, most cases of food poisoning can be prevented with proper food preparation and cooking, and how leftovers are handled. Leftovers can be kept for three to four days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning increases.

Because bacteria typically don't change the taste, smell or look of food, you can't tell whether food is dangerous to eat. If you're in doubt about the safety of leftovers, it's best to throw them out.

https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org

Exclusive content from CARE Magazine