Herbal and Nonpharmacological Therapies in Upper Respiratory Tract Infections
Abstract
Acute upper respiratory tract infections and acute bronchitis are the most common causes of outpatient admissions and work and school abstinence. Often acute upper airway infections are self-limited, light and short in duration. Although they are perceived to be benign as they are rarely fatal, in terms of quality of life and work abstinence, they are equivalent to the size of the effect of chronic diseases. 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 (TAT) direct both physicians and patients to search different treatment modalities. In this review, it is encountered that the latest body of evidence regarding effectiveness and safety of most commonly used vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements, and other applications for prevention and treatment of upper airway infections.
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