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Home > Echinacea: A Wise Choice for Upper Respiratory Infections
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 Echinacea: A Wise Choice for Upper Respiratory Infections
| Echinacea: A Wise Choice for
Upper Respiratory Infections |
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| If you haven't tried echinacea to help you
through a cold or flu bug, you might want to consider it. This herb has
been used for hundreds of years—in America, native Americans used it and
shared their knowledge of its medicinal value with early European
settlers. Recent scientific studies are supporting its ability to reduce
both the severity and duration of colds, flus, and sore throats when
it's taken at the onset of symptoms. It appears to stimulate the immune
system's response to infections; however, it has not been shown
effective for preventing upper respiratory infections.
Echinacea comes from the dried root and leaves of the Echinacea
purpurea plant and its related species. There are many different
forms of echinacea available, including teas, tinctures, and
capsules. At the first sign of a cold, experts recommend taking small,
frequent doses of 1 to 2 droppers of tincture every 2 to 3 hours or 200
mg in capsule form three times a day. It is also recommended that you
buy from a reputable manufacturer that uses a standardized extract.
As symptoms improve, stop taking echinacea. The safety of long-term
echinacea use is unknown, and experts don't recommend using it for more
than 8 weeks in a row. Side effects may include gastrointestinal
distress, headache, and hypersensitivity. It is not recommended for
people with an autoimmune disease such as multiple sclerosis or HIV/AIDs.
It is not known whether or not echinacea can be used safely during
pregnancy, so it's possibly wise to avoid using it until after the birth
of your child.
Remember that often colds and flu are your body's way of saying it's
time to slow down. Don't forget the tried-and-true remedies: Drink a lot
of fluids and get plenty of rest. |
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| Glossary |
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| Tincture: A preparation made from alcohol
or water and alcohol, containing an herb strength of 1 part herb to 5
parts solvent or 1 part herb to 10 parts solvent. |
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| Suggested Resources |
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| The Healing Power of Echinacea, Goldenseal,
and Other Immune System Herbs by Paul Bergner (Prima Publishing
1997) Echinacea by Mark Stengler (Impakt Communications 1999) |
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| References |
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| Access: Professional Reference to Conditions,
Herbs, and Supplements. Newton, Mass: Integrative Medicine
Communications; 2000. Barret B, Vohmann M, Calabrese C. Echinacea for
upper respiratory infection. J Fam Pract. 1999;48:628-635.
Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs:
Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin, Tex: The American
Botanical Councial and Boston, jMass: Integrative Medicine
Communications;1998.
Brinkeborn RM, Shah DV, Degenring FH. Echinaforce and other echinacea
fresh plant preparations in the treatment of the common cold.
Phytomedicine. 1999;6(1):1-5.
Melchart D, Linde K, Worku F, Bauer R, Wagner H. Immunomodulation
with echinacea: a systematic review of controlled clinical trials.
Phytomedicine. 1994;1:245-254. |
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| Review Date: January 2000 |
Reviewed By: Integrative Medicine
editorial
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| Copyright © 2004 A.D.A.M., Inc
The publisher does not accept any
responsibility for the accuracy of the information or the consequences
arising from the application, use, or misuse of any of the information
contained herein, including any injury and/or damage to any person or
property as a matter of product liability, negligence, or otherwise. No
warranty, expressed or implied, is made in regard to the contents of
this material. No claims or endorsements are made for any drugs or
compounds currently marketed or in investigative use. This material is
not intended as a guide to self-medication. The reader is advised to
discuss the information provided here with a doctor, pharmacist, nurse,
or other authorized healthcare practitioner and to check product
information (including package inserts) regarding dosage, precautions,
warnings, interactions, and contraindications before administering any
drug, herb, or supplement discussed herein. |
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