It's that time of year when winter viruses take hold, and a cacophony of coughs fill households, offices and public transport.

Often people turn to cough medicine for a fix. But does this work, or are homemade remedies like honey and lemon just as good?

Jacky Smith, a professor in respiratory medicine at the University of Manchester, spoke to Radio 4's Sliced Bread to unblock fact from fiction.

Most coughs come from colds, and cold viruses usually need to work their way through you naturally. Cough medicines can't treat the underlying virus but they can soothe your throat and reduce the tickly sensations that make you cough.

If it's a dry cough then choosing balsams or sickly-sweet syrup-based soothing agents like glycerol, can help "coat your throat" and protect against the dryness, says Prof Smith.

But paying more for these isn't worth it with cheaper supermarket-own brands just as effective as the big names, she says.

The one thing to look out for on the label though is sugar content........

© BBC