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- Take anti-inflammatory medicines. "Ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) are your best friends," Steinhilber says. "Most of the symptoms from COVID—and any virus—stem from inflammation, and the category of 'anti-inflammatory' medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen help tremendously with many of the symptoms.
- Keep decongestants on hand. Available in sprays, pills, syrups and even flavored powders, decongestants (like Sudafed) reduce the swelling of your nose's blood vessels, which helps to open up your airway.
- Drink plenty of fluids. You've heard this advice before, but do you know why? Here's a great explanation: "Most viruses, COVID included, don't have direct effects on most of your organs.
- Add hot liquids to your list. There's a reason why chicken soup continues to be a go-to when we're under the weather—its benefits aren't just old wives' tales.
- Overview
- Herbs may help with other viruses
- There isn’t enough data on herbs and COVID-19
- There could be unwanted side effects
- Don’t experiment with herbal remedies if you have COVID-19
- The bottom line
•Herbal remedies have long been used to treat infections and viruses, such as the common cold, influenza, fever, and even herpes.
•But one of the biggest problems with using these herbs in the U.S. is that many herbal and natural remedies are low quality.
•Certain herbs, if misused, could boost the immune system even more and lead to “a cytokine storm.”
As scientists around the world race toward finding an effective treatment and cure for COVID-19, health officials in China have started encouraging an alternative type of medicine to help those who get sick with the respiratory infection — traditional herbal remedies.
Using herbs for illness isn’t a novel idea. For thousands of years, herbs like licorice, ginger, and ephedra have been used to treat respiratory infections like the flu and pneumonia.
Some remedies, like forsythia, were put to the test for SARS and found to be somewhat effective in laboratory studies.
Herbal remedies have long been used to treat infections and viruses, such as the common cold, influenza, fever, and even herpes.
Some are thought to enhance the immune system and put the body in a healthier position to fight infections. Others are believed to be powerful antivirals that block certain viruses from replicating in the body.
But just because we’ve seen some promise with other illnesses does not mean people should assume herbal remedies provide the same benefit with COVID-19.
Every virus is unique in its structure and behavior. The herbs that seem to work for other viral infections will need to be tested to see if they also hold up against COVID-19.
Historically, there’s been a major lack of evidence surrounding natural medicines.
For one, it’s been difficult to secure the necessary funding to study the health effects of plants and herbs. The United States is a very pharmaceutical-driven society, so that’s where the priority has historically been.
Research has also been somewhat inconsistent. There are so many parts of a plant — the root, stem, leaf, flower — and it’s hard to get studies that consistently analyze the same portion of a plant.
Langland has been leading up a team of researchers who have been studying if and how certain herbs could potentially be used to treat COVID-19.
His team is testing over 30 herbs, and looking at each plant’s antiviral and immune-supportive properties.
Langland is hopeful they’ll find a treatment, but says it will take time to get the results and put the science behind botanicals.
Just like any other medicine, herbal remedies could cause adverse side effects.
Take licorice, one of the remedies that officials in China have recommended for COVID-19.
According to Gersh, licorice is thought to be an effective treatment for herpes viruses.
Licorice paste, when applied to a herpes sore, can prevent the virus from replicating and stop it in its tracks, says Gersh. But it also has a major downside.
“It can activate a hormone in the body called aldosterone which causes fluids retention and can actually induce hypertension,” Gersh said.
Because hypertension is a huge risk factor for COVID-19 complications, Gersh said she “would be concerned about using licorice, especially in high quantities, in someone with coronavirus.”
If you are considering trying herbal remedies for COVID-19, keep in mind that we don’t fully understand the risks and benefits.
How a botanical works in one person’s body may be drastically different from how it behaves in another, depending on their health, age, and symptoms.
“With botanicals, you want to treat people individually,” Langland said, noting how the type of herb and dosage would likely vary from person to person.
If people are curious about herbal remedies, it’s best to consult a physician or naturopathic doctor who is well versed in various herbs and their properties.
“I wouldn’t advocate that people willy-nilly start taking all kinds of herbal products and not have a clue what’s in it,” Gersh said.
You want to have data, and be aware of any potential side effects before you take herbal products for an infection as potentially life threatening as COVID-19.
Health officials in China are recommending traditional herbal remedies for COVID-19, but many experts warn that we don’t have enough data on COVID-19 to understand how different herbs may affect people’s health.
Though herbal remedies may seem harmless, if misused, they could increase a person’s risk for COVID-19. We may find that certain herbs are effective in preventing and treating COVID-19 in some people, but there currently isn’t enough data regarding the use of herbal remedies for the new coronavirus.
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Overreliance on unproven remedies could delay accessing necessary conventional medical care for COVID-19, however imperfect that is. Clinician search look-ups for zinc increased 518% in the epocrates mobile app in March, compared with the same month in 2019, and searches for other popular remedies rose as well.
