Mammadova C. – HARNESSİNG NATURE’S REMEDİES: MEDİCİNAL PLANTS FOR TREATİNG AND PREVENTİNG INFECTİONS AND INFLAMMATİON İN COLD-INDUCED AİLMENTS
HARNESSİNG NATURE'S REMEDİES: MEDİCİNAL PLANTS FOR TREATİNG AND PREVENTİNG INFECTİONS AND INFLAMMATİON İN COLD-INDUCED AİLMENTS
Mammadova C.
Lecturer of the Department of Pharmacy and Biochemistry,
Nakhchivan State University
Abstract
The common cold, an infectious ailment primarily affecting the upper respiratory tract, targets the respiratory mucosa in areas such as the nose, throat, sinuses, and larynx. Manifesting signs and symptoms within two days of viral exposure, the condition encompasses manifestations like coughing, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, headache, and fever. Typically, recovery occurs within seven to ten days, although certain symptoms may persist for up to three weeks, with a potential for pneumonia development in individuals with pre-existing health conditions.
The common cold is attributed to over 200 virus strains, with rhinoviruses prevailing as the most common causative agents. Transmission transpires through airborne particles in close contact with infected individuals or indirect exposure to contaminated environmental surfaces, subsequently transferred to the mouth or nose. Risk factors encompass attendance at child care facilities, sleep deprivation, and psychological stress. Notably, symptoms result primarily from the immune response rather than direct viral tissue destruction. Comparatively, influenza symptoms parallel those of the common cold but are generally more severe and less prone to include nasal discharge.
With its prevalence marked by symptoms such as cough, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, sore throat, myalgia, fatigue, headache, and dyspepsia, the common cold lacks specific treatment. Although numerous alternative and Chinese herbal remedies are purported to alleviate symptoms, existing scientific evidence is insufficient to substantiate their efficacy. In this context, ethnopharmacological and ethnobotanical studies aim to identify medicinal plants employed in treating the common cold.
Keywords: Common cold, Rhinoviruses, Ethnopharmacology.
