Complementary+and+Alternative+Treatment

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Various cultures have used complementary and alternative medicines (CAM), such as herbal medicines, both to prevent and treat infection throughout the ages.

A “complementary” medication is used on conjunct with conventional medicine in order to aid the treatment process and hasten recovery. An “alternative” medication is used in replacement to conventional medication for treatment. Both forms of complementary and alternative medicines are useful in society. Complementary medication improves recovery and reduces severity of infection.

Alternative medications offer treatment in situations where conventional medicine may not be available. This area is of particular interest, especially in scarce availability of conventional medication during pandemics.

//Herbal Medicines.//

Before the rise of conventional medicine, herbal medicines were used for centuries and still are popular today as effective treatments against infection.
// Sambucus nigra, Echinacea purpurea // and //Andrographis paniculata// are herbs shown both to be potent alternative medicine treatments for influenza and to have a comparable to greater effect to conventional medications.

The antiviral effects of Sambucus nigra flavonoids are comparable to those of oseltamivir in Tamiflu®, making them a viable alternative to the medication.

//Echinace purpurea// prevented the emergence of resistant viral strains in comparison to Tamiflu®. Further studies into its specific mode of action could create alternative medications which prevent resistant viruses from developing.

//Andrographis paniculata// treatment for influenza patients was shown to be significantly more effective at reducing symptoms and severity of infection in comparison to the conventional medication amantadine.

While already potent antiviral medicines in their own right, further research into the constituents of //Sambucus nigra, Echinacea purpurea// and Andrographis paniculata could create effective conventional medications for future treatment of influenza.



__Figures:__ Figure 1. Star Anise. Image Source Page : [] Figure 1. Black elderberries. Image Source Page: @http://www.alice-dsl.net/klauskeilhofer/Arboretum/Arboretum.htm Figure 3. Echinacea purpurea flower. Image Source Page: @http://www.terrapin-gardens.com/perennials/echinacea-purpurea.htm Figure 4. Andrographis paniculata flower. Image Source Page: @http://clinicalnature.com/2010/09/andrographis-paniculata/