ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT IN UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS Prof

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT IN UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS Prof. Dr. Atilla TEKAT VM MEDICAL PARK HOSPITAL SAMSUN - TURKEY

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS Upper respiratory tract infection (URI) is a nonspecific term used to describe acute infections involving the nose, paranasal sinuses, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and bronchi. The prototype is the illness known as the common cold - Upper respiratory tract infections are a common health problem - Pharyngitis primarily a viral infection of the respiratory tract, followed by secondary bacterial invasion due to weakening of local defenses

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS There are over 200 variations of different viruses that have been identified as causing Upper Respiratory Infections in patients. Influenza A and rhinoviruses are principally involved, the influenza virus having much higher pathogenicity, however, than rhinoviruses which usually cause the common cough and cold without severe damage to the respiratory mucosa.

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS Nearly 15% of acute pharyngitis cases can be caused by bacteria; this is due to Group A streptococcal pharyngitis

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS Common symptoms nasal congestion, runny nose (rhinorrhea), nasal discharge (may change from clear to white to green) nasal breathing, sneezing, sore or scratchy throat, painful swallowing (odynophagia), cough (from laryngeal swelling and post nasal drip) malaise, fever (more common in children).

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS Other less common symptoms may include • • • foul breath reduced ability to smell (hyposmia), headache shortness of breath sinus pain itchy and watery eye (conjunctivitis) nausea vomiting diarrhea Body aches

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS -Antibiotics are not effective for treating a viral Upper Respiratory Infections. -Unnecessary use of antibiotics may reduce their effectiveness when they are truly needed. -The lack of precise treatment and increasingly rapid pace of life, a. moment before the recovery demand, changes in health perception and increasing trend of complementary alternative medicine direct both physicians and patients to search different treatment modalities - Certain herbs have been used to help prevent or treat upper respiratory tract infections.

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS Nowadays complementary medicine, including herbal medicine, is becoming an increasingly popular health care approach, which has been used for both general maintenance of health and for treatment of minor illnesses

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT IN UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS Echinacea -Echinacea plant preparations (family Asteraceae ) are widely used in Europe and North America for common colds. -Early treatment initiation may decrase the severity and duration of acute respiratory infections -which is an herbal medication, has some possible benefit in easing the symptoms of a common cold when taken at the first sign of symptoms.

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT IN UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS Echinacea Biologically, extracts of Echinacea have been shown to activate ex vivo human macrophage cells and polymorphonuclear cells by increasing cytokines, rate of viral antigen presentation, and carbon clearance WENDY WEBER, N. D. at all Echinacea purpurea for Prevention of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Children. THE JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE Volume 11, Number 6, 2005, pp. 1021– 1026 l

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT IN UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS Echinacea was well tolerated This may represent an allergic reaction to the herb. There have been case reports of serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis reactions after ingestion of Echinacea in adults with atopic disease

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS Echinacea Future studies should be conducted to determine which Echinacea species, part of the Echinacea plant, extraction method, and dose regimen provide the greatest benefit/risk ratio for the prevention of URIs in children and adults. Additional studies to examine the biologic basis for the potential preventive effect against the occurrence of URIs are also needed. In conclusion, Echinacea purpurea may be effective in reducing the occurrence of subsequent URIs in children.

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS Garlic when taken daily as a tablet, may be useful in preventing the development of the common cold.

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS Vitamin C when taken as a preventive measure, may slightly reduce the duration and severity of a cold in both adults and children. However, taking vitamin C once a URI has begun is not likely to have a benefit. Taking vitamin C as a preventive measure does not typically reduce the frequency of developing a cold.

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS Vitamin C The failure of vitamin C supplementation to reduce the incidence of colds in the normal population indicates that routine mega-dose prophylaxis is not rationally justified for community use. But evidence suggests that it could be justified in people exposed to brief periods of severe physical exercise or cold environments. Douglas RM, Hemilä H, Chalker E, Treacy B. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jul 18; (3)

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS ZINC Oral zinc may reduce the length and severity of a cold. when taken within 24 hours of the start of symptoms, is likely to reduce the duration and severity of symptoms. Taking zinc as a preventive measure may lower the rates of developing a cold as well as the severity, but carries the risk of side effects such as bad taste and nausea.

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS ZINC Starting therapy with zinc gluconate lozenges within 24 to 48 hours of onset of cold symptoms reduces the duration and severity of the cold. Patients must suck lozenges every 2 hours while awake during the cold. Minimum effective dose appears to be 13. 3 mg of elemental zinc per lozenge. Bad taste and nausea are important side effects of zinc lozenges. Carr RR 1, Nahata MC Complementary and alternative medicine for upper-respiratory-tract infection in children. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2006 Jan 1; 63(1): 33 -9. .

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS ELDERBERRY The black elder (sambucus nigra L. ) has been used in folk medicine for centuries to treat influenza, colds and sinusitis, and has been reported to have antiviral activity against influenza and herpes simplex Elderberry extracts are commercially avaliable as nutritional supplements for humans, and are used extensively in many countries. Elderberry 4 x 15 ml a day.

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS HONEY Honey has been traditionally used for the treatment of wounds, and to soothe coughs or sore throats. Application of honey on the throat may help reduce local irritation as well as exert some osmotic effect to detach microbial contaminants. Honey has also been shown to possess antioxidant properties, probably owing to its high vitamin and total polyphenolic content.

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS (L. Sambucus Nigra) (L. Vitis Vinifera) Honey Gliserol A dense filmogenic and hypertonic solution Mechanical antiseptic and cleaning solution affected Mechanically pulls hypotonic liquids from the deep parts of the throat mechanically, creating a strip of film that is activated by the osmotically

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS This sensation was reduced in most of the patients just after the 1 st application of the product but was not completely disappeared. A progressive reduction in the throat irritation score was observed up to the day 7 when almost all the patients were completely recovered. The throat inflammation was progressively diminished during the first 4 days of treatment Shrivastava R. J Clin Trials. 2011; 1(1): 2 -7

UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS SUMMARY I would like to mention some plants that are useful for treatment of upper respiratory tract infections, especilly for reducing symptoms and There is a need for more scientific work on this subject

Samsun- TURKEY. . . Thank you for your interest