Health promotion in relation to respiratory viral infections.

This chapter attempts to supply information about the application of Chinese medicine on the prevention and treatment of the common cold and influenza. First, the ancient herbal formulae commonly used for the treatment of respiratory ailments and diseases are reviewed. Their application in the past, present day and during the Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (SARS) crisis are studied. Then the herbs that are the key components of the formulae are identified for their mode of action as understood by the ancient healers and today's Chinese medical experts. The modern interpretation of the biological activities of the commonly used herbs, which forms the basis of the clinical efficacy of the herbal preparations on the treatment of respiratory infection, is given accordingly. Many scholastic objective reviews have been made of published documents on the clinical experience of using herbs and herbal preparations including the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Examples of such are given in the last paragraphs of the chapter to broaden the scope of our investigation. The overall results of our exploration on the indications and efficacy of herbal use for health promotion in relation to respiratory viral infection are positive. More scientific investigations would be justified to further support the objective value of the herbs and herbal formulations.