Herbal interventions can be effective in treating many symptoms associated with bacterial, fungal and viral infections. These approaches combine modern research with experiential knowledge gain from my practice.
NOTE: many references to remedies below link to their detailed monographs in our partner site Herbal Reality. This is a comprehensive resource on all herbal matters. More information about using the remedies will also follow in our future posts.
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Plants can provide a supportive adjunct treatment to pharmaceuticals when they need to be prescribed. Many of you will have taken a course of antibiotics in your lifetime, and plant prescriptions can make a great impact in the prevention of disease and can help mitigate the growing antibiotic crisis.
Plant medicine can support the overall health of the immune system, and can be tailored to suit individual body systems affected. A herbal approach will first aim for prevention, and following an infection can help to reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of infection. To read more about supporting overall immunity head to Issue 1 – Immunity.
Urinary
Uva ursi: Also known as bear berry, its use is well documented and used widely across Europe as a medicinal product. It is used for treatment of symptoms associated with urinary tract infections including burning sensations during urination and frequent urination. It is best to rule out any serious condition with a medical doctor before considering the use of Uva ursi.
Cranberry: Clinical results have shown cranberry can reduce the risk of an UTI by up to 26%, and can prevent UTI recurrence. Results also show that cranberry extract is more effective than the juice. Cranberry has been shown to reduce the adhesion of pathogenic organisms to the urinary wall (including E.coli).
Upper respiratory
Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are the most common conditions requiring primary care, and antibiotics are often prescribed as treatment. Studies have shown bacteria can be resistant to the antibiotic within one month and sometimes up to 12 months post infection.
Flavonoids: an increase in dietary flavonoids has been shown to decrease incidences, duration and severity of URTIs. Flavonoids rich foods include green tea, dark chocolate, berries, citrus fruit and leafy green vegetables.
Andrographis: This herb has antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory actions and has been shown in clinical trials to be effective in reducing the duration and severity of acute URTIs.
Echinacea: Echinacea has antiviral, antimicrobial and immunostimulating properties. It has also been shown to be effective in increasing white blood cell count with prolonged use, suggesting it can be used effectively as a preventative. A trial found it effective in reducing severity and duration of URTIs.
Thymol (active constituent from thyme): thymol acts as a ‘membrane stabiliser’ – allowing antibiotics to penetrate gram-negative bacteria.
Garlic: It has antimicrobial and antiviral effects, which may either be attributed to its compound allicin which has shown antimicrobial effects in vitro. Another compound ajoene which is a derivative of allicin has exhibited antiplatelet and antimicrobial activities in vitro.
Cough
Any recurrent or persistent cough should first and foremost be examined by a medical doctor to ascertain the cause before proceeding with herbal treatment.
The form of herbal treatment will depend on the nature of the cough.
Wet or productive coughs
This is caused by excess mucus and is most likely due to an infection such as bronchitis. Herbal treatment can help to speed recovery, reduce incidences of coughing and relieve symptoms. In these cases, heating and drying herbs are used including ginger and cinnamon. Other remedies include swallowing whole garlic cloves, and angelica root, elecampane root, aniseed and fennel.
Dry or non productive coughs
This arises when an irritation causes a tacky type of mucus or no mucus production at all. This can be as a result of an infection in the upper passages including pharyngitis, laryngitis and tracheitis; spasm in the bronchial muscle such as with asthma or a tickly cough as a result of a dry irritation. In these cases, moistening and soothing expectorants are used. These plants often have mucilaginous effects and help to soothe the lining of the respiratory tract including mullein, plantain, marshmallow and liquorice.
The importance of the gut microbiome
Once again, we come to the importance of gut health! Studies have shown probiotic supplementation reduces the incidence of respiratory tract infections in children. Further trials suggest oral probiotics can stimulate the immune response against pathogens in the respiratory tract.
Multisystem
Propolis: Results have shown honey, propolis and royal jelly can have effects on gastrointestinal disorders, allergies, gynaecological, oral and dermatological problems. One study showed that propolis reduced the symptoms of cough better than no treatment, placebo and medications including (salbutamol and diphenhydramine).
Treatment from home
Steam inhalations
Steam inhalations are a simple and effective home treatment that have been shown to manage symptoms of sinusitis and respiratory infections as well as helping to aid airway decongestion. A steam inhalation can be made at home by boiling water and pouring this into to a large pot; then add a couple of drops of essential oil (lavender, pine or eucalyptus) or fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary); place a towel over your head and breathe in the steam. Caution is advised to check the temperature of the steam is not too hot before inhalation.
Vapour rubs
These have been shown to reduce symptoms of cough, congestion and sleep difficulty associated with upper respiratory tract infections. Link to recipe?..
Disclaimer.
Each person and illness is unique and, unlike a personal health consultation, no publication can anticipate every circumstance or be appropriate for every reader. Knowledge and best practice in the health field are also constantly changing. Although the information in Plant Guides and the links to other sites is selected for its suitability for self care it is not a substitute for an individual’s health decision. Many apparently unremarkable symptoms may disguise something more serious. Especially if a problem has been longstanding or is otherwise inexplicable or alarming it can be important to use the information provided along with professional health advisors or registered medical practitioners who are better able to spot problems that need further treatment.
In obtaining herbal products, users should not assume that all products are of good quality and should read the label carefully for detailed information about safe use, and should choose responsible manufacturers with independently assured quality standards and safety monitoring procedures.
The information provided in Plant Guides is therefore not a direction to any individual treatment or herbal product, and to the fullest extent of the law, neither the publisher nor the authors, contributors or editors, assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the materials.