Roxas M, Jurenka J.
Thorne Research, PO Box 25, Dover, ID 83825, USA. m.roxas@comcast.net
The common cold is the leading cause of doctor visits in the United States and annually results in 189 million lost school days. In the course of one year the U.S. population contracts approximately 1 billion colds. Influenza infection is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, accounting for 20-25 million doctor visits and 36,000 deaths per year in the United States. Conventional therapies for colds and flu focus primarily on temporary symptom relief and include over-the-counter antipyretics, anti-inflammatories, and decongestants. Treatment for influenza also includes prescription antiviral agents and vaccines for prevention. This article reviews the common cold and influenza viruses, presents the conventional treatment options, and highlights select botanicals (Echinacea spp., Sambucus nigra, larch arabinogalactan, Astragalus membranaceous, Baptisia tinctoria, Allium sativa, Panax quinquefolium, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Andrographis paniculata, olive leaf extract, and Isatis tinctoria) and nutritional considerations (vitamins A and C, zinc, high lactoferrin whey protein, N-acetylcysteine, and DHEA) that may help in the prevention and treatment of these conditions.
PMID: 17397266 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Related Links
- Information from your family doctor. Flu and colds. [Am Fam Physician. 2004]
- Beat the winter bugs. How to hold your own against colds and flu. [FDA Consum. 2001]
- Colds. Prevention is still the best medicine. [Mayo Clin Health Lett. 2000]
- Antiviral drugs in influenza: an adjunct to vaccination in some situations. [Prescrire Int. 2006]
- Efficacy and safety of over-the-counter analgesics in the treatment of common cold and flu. [J Clin Pharm Ther. 2006]
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