Helen Spath is a partner in Tullivers Health Store in Colliergate, York. Each week she will bring you advice on how to stay healthy with herbal and homeopathic remedies or food supplements.

Q: Can you tell me why I get dry tickly coughs more in winter and what I can do to calm them?

A: There are more than 100 different viruses that cause the common cold, a cough being the main symptom. These are developing all the time so finding a cure is difficult.

Coughs are usually a symptom of something else, for example allergies and asthma both cause dry coughing. Other symptoms may include wheezing, shortness of breath or a feeling of tightness in the chest.

When you find yourself troubled by a dry tickly cough you should avoid dry environments by having either a window open in the room or purchasing an air humidifier and drink plenty of water.

You may find your cough gets worse at night. This is because the horizontal position can cause more mucus to collect at the top of the lungs and also make the mouth dryer, leading to more swallowing which is an irritant to the coughing reflex. To prevent night-time coughing, have the room as cool as you can bear and prop your head up on two or three pillows. In addition, try sucking a throat lozenge as the sucking action helps to keep a dry throat moist. Bioforce has recently developed Santasapina Lozenges, which are derived from spruce buds, rich in terpenes. These small molecules have antiseptic, mucolytic (breaking down mucus) and antibacterial properties.

Santasapina is also available in syrup for dry coughs, sore throats and congestion.

For more information please contact you local health store.

Updated: 10:34 Friday, December 02, 2005