2023-06-06 11:57:04
Covid-19 and other respiratory infections are often accompanied by a nagging cough. The symptoms can be alleviated with herbal medicines, the effectiveness of which has also been proven in studies, reports Prof. Dr. Robert Fürst at the international training congress pharmacon in Meran, South Tyrol.
Coughing often occurs towards the end of a respiratory infection and sometimes persists long after other symptoms such as a runny nose, headache and sore throat have subsided. “The good news is that all symptoms of a cold, including a cough, usually go away on their own. With herbal medicines, however, the symptoms can be alleviated and the sick days can be shortened,” reports Prof. Dr. Robert Fürst from the Institute for Pharmaceutical Biology at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main.
According to the “Cough” guideline of the German Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine, studies have shown that certain herbal medicines are even more effective in acute coughs than synthetic drugs. This includes preparations with the following herbal ingredients:
- ivy leaves,
- cineole (main component of eucalyptus oil),
- Combination of eucalyptus, sweet orange, myrtle and lemon oil,
- South African Cape Pelargonium Root Extract
- combination of thyme herb and ivy leaves,
- Combination of thyme herb and primula root.
“There are good studies for all of these herbal active ingredients and combinations that show that they can reduce the number of sick days with a cough by two to four days compared to a placebo,” explains Fürst. The on-site pharmacy advises on suitable over-the-counter preparations, many of which are also approved for children. However, if the cough lasts longer than four weeks after a cold or there are side effects such as bloody sputum, shortness of breath or fever, a doctor’s visit is indicated.
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