Echinacea: reviews, advice, contraindications

Echinacea purpurea is a medicinal plant used in pharmacology and folk medicine. On its basis, drugs that enhance immunity are produced, effective natural biostimulants. They struggle with the cause of disease, and not with its effect: the body gains strength and counteracts the onset of viruses, fungi and pathogenic bacteria.

Based on the raw materials obtained from the purple echinacea, many drugs are produced. Many of them can be found in Russian pharmacies - for example, tablets and drops of "Immunal" produced in Slovenia, German preparations "Echinacea Dr. Thiess extract", Echinacea Hexal, Echinacea Ratiofarm (tablets, drops, solution); Tablets "Echinacea" produced by the company "Natur Product" (Netherlands), domestic alcohol tincture "Echinacea Vilar". As they say in the instructions to these drugs, echinacea (reviews often confirm this fact) has a powerful immunostimulating effect.

Echinacea preparations are prescribed by many doctors often sick patients for the prevention of colds, especially in the autumn-winter period. In this case, their reception should begin at least a week, and better - 2-3 before the expected epidemic or the beginning of cold weather. To strengthen the body's defenses, usually prescribed 20-30 drops of the drug (or one tablet) three or four times a day. A good effect gives echinacea, the reviews of which confirm its effectiveness, at the beginning of the flu or ARVI. The dose will be slightly different: for example, in the first 3-5 days, you should take 30-40 drops (or two tablets) of the drug at one time. Then the dose is reduced to preventive and take the drug for another two weeks.

Echinacea, reviews about which, for the most part, are positive, are used in the complex treatment of chronic respiratory diseases, ENT organs and oral cavity - bronchitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, stomatitis and others. Assign it and with relapsing diseases of the genitourinary system - colpitis, adnexitis, glomerulonephritis, cystitis, etc. However, not everyone helps echinacea: reviews on various Internet forums indicate that often the effect of its use is not available. Skeptics argue: there is no point in taking neither tablets nor alcoholic tincture of Echinacea or, accordingly, the preparation "Immunal". In their opinion, only natural juice of a plant or tea from its leaves brings benefit, therefore for treatment of the family it makes sense to grow echinacea on garden sites.

Contraindications to taking medications based on echinacea are serious enough: they are, above all, tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis, systemic connective tissue diseases, etc. It is not worth taking them to pregnant women, since the mechanism of the effect of these drugs on the fetus has not yet been studied. As for the age of the patients, the Echinacea children are only allowed to admission from the age of 12. Some manufacturers indicate that already 6-year-old babies can be prescribed a half dose of the drug, but it is only about tablets, but not about alcohol tincture. Others believe that it is contraindicated for children under 4 years old. Nevertheless, Echinacea for children (feedback on this is available on the Internet) is often still applied by parents without prescribing a doctor, even for the treatment of infants. It should be understood that they do it at their own peril and risk.

Drugs Echinacea purpurea should be taken with caution to allergic patients, as there have been cases of appropriate reactions: itching, skin rashes, swelling. For the same reason, echinacea for immunity, reviews of which, in general, are good, is contraindicated to asthmatics. Elderly people, as a rule, respond well to taking these medications, however, consultation of the doctor and, possibly, dose adjustment depending on the age and condition of the patient is necessary.