Unsolved:Alternative treatments used for the common cold

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Short description: Overview of notable treatment methods used for the common cold in alternative medicine

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]

Echinacea

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. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "A Survival Guide for Preventing and Treating Influenza and the Common Cold". American Lung Association. August 2005. http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35873#done. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 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. PMID 24554461. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 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. ↑ "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". MMWR Recomm Rep 51 (RR–16): 1–45, quiz CE1–4. October 2002. PMID 12418624. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5116.pdf. 
  5. ↑ "Staying healthy is in your hands - Public Health Agency Canada". 17 April 2008. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/chn-rcs/handwash-eng.php. 
  6. ↑ "Common Cold: Treatments and Drugs". Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/common-cold/DS00056/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs. 
  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. PMID 17597571. 
  8. ↑ "Common Cold". National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. 2006-11-27. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/healthscience/healthtopics/colds/. 
  9. ↑ "Treatment of the common cold". American Family Physician 75 (4): 515–20. 2007. PMID 17323712. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20070215/515.html. Retrieved 2009-02-12. 
  10. ↑ "Common Cold (Upper Respiratory Infection)". The Merck Manual Online. Merck & Co.. November 2005. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec14/ch188/ch188c.html. 
  11. ↑ The Natural Standard Research Collaboration (2006-08-01). "Echinacea (E. angustifolia DC, E. pallida, E. purpurea)". Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/echinacea/NS_patient-echinacea. 
  12. ↑ "Echinacea". University of Maryland Medical Center. 2005-09-22. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/echinacea-000239.htm. 
  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. 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. 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. PMID 24146345. 
  18. ↑ "Patient beliefs about the characteristics, causes, and care of the common cold: an update". The Journal of Family Practice 49 (2): 153–6. 2000. PMID 10718693. 
  19. ↑ "Steam inhalation treatment for children". Br J Gen Pract 55 (516): 557. 2005. 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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