Alternative treatments used for the common cold

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Alternative treatments used for the common cold include numerous home remedies and alternative medicines. Scientific research regarding the efficacy of each treatment is generally nonexistent or inconclusive. [1] [2] [3] Current best evidence indicates prevention, including hand washing and neatness, [4] [5] and management of symptoms. [6]

Contents

Echinacea

Echinacea flower EchinaceaPurpureaMaxima1a.UME.JPG
Echinacea flower

A systematic review by the Cochrane Collaboration, last updated in 2014, examines twenty-four randomized controlled trials studying various echinacea preparations for prevention and treatment of the common cold. Echinacea showed no benefit over placebo for prevention. [2] Evidence for treatment was inconsistent. Reported side effects were rare. [2]

2007 meta-analyses conclude that there is some evidence that echinacea may reduce either the duration or severity of the common cold, but results are not consistent. [7]

Use of echinacea preparations is not currently recommended. [1] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Chicken soup

In the twelfth century, Moses Maimonides wrote, "Chicken soup ... is recommended as an excellent food as well as medication." [13] Since then, there have been numerous reports in the United States that chicken soup alleviates the symptoms of the common cold. Even usually staid medical journals have published tongue-in-cheek articles on the alleged medicinal properties of chicken soup. [14] [15] [16]

Pelargonium sidoides extract

A 2013 Cochrane review found tentative evidence of benefit with Pelargonium sidoides for the symptoms of the common cold; however, the quality of the evidence was very poor. [17]

Steam inhalation

Many people believe that steam inhalation reduces cold symptoms. [18] There is insufficient evidence to recommend routine usage of steam inhalation for treating the common cold. [3] There have been reports of children being badly burned by accidentally spilling the water used for steam inhalation. [19] [20]

Evidence does not support a relationship between cold temperature exposure or a "chill" (feeling of coldness) and the common cold. [21]

References

  1. 1 2 "A Survival Guide for Preventing and Treating Influenza and the Common Cold". American Lung Association. August 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-01-08. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
  2. 1 2 3 Karsch-Völk, Marlies; Barrett, Bruce; Kiefer, David; Bauer, Rudolf; Ardjomand-Woelkart, Karin; Linde, Klaus (2014-02-20). "Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2 (2): CD000530. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000530.pub3. ISSN   1469-493X. PMC   4068831 . PMID   24554461.
  3. 1 2 Singh, Meenu; Singh, Manvi (2013-06-04). Singh, Meenu (ed.). "Heated, humidified air for the common cold". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (6): CD001728. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001728.pub5. ISSN   1469-493X. PMID   23733382.
  4. ↑ Boyce JM, Pittet D (October 2002). "Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings. Recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee and the HICPAC/SHEA/APIC/IDSA Hand Hygiene Task Force. Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America/Association for Professionals in Infection Control/Infectious Diseases Society of America" (PDF). MMWR Recomm Rep. 51 (RR–16): 1–45, quiz CE1–4. PMID   12418624.
  5. ↑ "Staying healthy is in your hands - Public Health Agency Canada". 17 April 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-06-06. Retrieved 5 May 2008.
  6. ↑ "Common Cold: Treatments and Drugs". Mayo Clinic. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  7. ↑ Shah, SA; Sander, S; White, CM; Rinaldi, M; Coleman, CI (July 2007). "Evaluation of echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis". The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 7 (7): 473–80. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(07)70160-3. PMC   7106401 . PMID   17597571.
  8. ↑ "Common Cold". National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. 2006-11-27. Archived from the original on 23 June 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
  9. ↑ Simasek M, Blandino DA (2007). "Treatment of the common cold". American Family Physician. 75 (4): 515–20. PMID   17323712. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
  10. ↑ "Common Cold (Upper Respiratory Infection)". The Merck Manual Online. Merck & Co. November 2005. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
  11. ↑ The Natural Standard Research Collaboration (2006-08-01). "Echinacea (E. angustifolia DC, E. pallida, E. purpurea)". Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Archived from the original on 16 November 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
  12. ↑ "Echinacea". University of Maryland Medical Center. 2005-09-22. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
  13. ↑ Rosner, F (October 1980). "Therapeutic efficacy of chicken soup". Chest. 78 (4): 672–674. doi: 10.1378/chest.78.4.672 . PMID   7191367.
  14. ↑ Rennard, Barbara O.; Ronald F. Ertl; Gail L. Gossman; Richard A. Robbins; Stephen I. Rennard (October 2000). "Chicken Soup Inhibits Neutrophil Chemotaxis In Vitro". Chest. 118 (4): 1150–1157. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.584.6659 . doi:10.1378/chest.118.4.1150. PMID   11035691.
  15. ↑ Caroline, NL.; H Schwartz (February 1975). "Chicken soup rebound and relapse of pneumonia". Chest. 67 (2): 215–216. doi:10.1378/chest.67.2.215. PMID   1090422.
  16. ↑ Ohry, Abraham; Jenni Tsafrir (1999-12-14). "Is chicken soup an essential drug?". Canadian Medical Association Journal. 161 (12): 1532–3. PMC   1230870 . PMID   10624412.
  17. ↑ Timmer, A; Günther, J; Motschall, E; Rücker, G; Antes, G; Kern, WV (22 October 2013). "Pelargonium sidoides extract for treating acute respiratory tract infections". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 10 (10): CD006323. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006323.pub3. PMC   11835051 . PMID   24146345.
  18. ↑ Braun BL, Fowles JB, Solberg L, Kind E, Healey M, Anderson R (2000). "Patient beliefs about the characteristics, causes, and care of the common cold: an update". The Journal of Family Practice. 49 (2): 153–6. PMID   10718693.
  19. ↑ Akhavani MA, Baker RH (2005). "Steam inhalation treatment for children". Br J Gen Pract. 55 (516): 557. PMC   1472796 . PMID   16004753.
  20. ↑ Thenaturopathic, 24 January 2023
  21. ↑ Eccles, R. (2002-09-01). "Acute cooling of the body surface and the common cold". Rhinology. 40 (3): 109–114. ISSN   0300-0729. PMID   12357708.
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