Herbal Drugs - Usage Trends

Usage Trends

Estimates of herbal drug use in the United States vary, but it is generally believed that one out of every five Americans uses some sort of herbal remedy. The figure for usage among Europeans

During the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) scare in 2002 and 2003, many people visited Chinese herbalists to purchase a mixture of herbs to help protect them from the disease. This trend was not only common in China but in shops like t
During the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) scare in 2002 and 2003, many people visited Chinese herbalists to purchase a mixture of herbs to help protect them from the disease. This trend was not only common in China but in shops like this one in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. © Christopher J. Morris/Corbis.

is much higher, at about 60 percent. In parts of the Far East, however, traditional herbals remain the first line of defense against illness for the majority of the population.

The SARS Threat

The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that occurred in 2002 and 2003 offers a good example of herbal use in modern times. SARS is a virus that attacks the respiratory system. Infected individuals become feverish and achy within two to ten days of exposure to the virus. As the illness progresses, the level of oxygen in the blood becomes low and pneumoniaA disease of the lung, usually brought on by infection, that causes inflammation of the lung tissue, fluid buildup inside the lungs, lowered oxygen levels in the blood, and difficulty breathing. develops.

SARS was first seen in the southern part of China late in 2002. It is believed to have originated when a diseased wild mongoose was butchered in a meat market in the nation's Guangdong province. SARS is spread through close contact, usually when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus is also excreted in urine and feces and can stay alive in raw sewage for several days. Common sense precautions, including frequent hand washing, are among the best ways to avoid infection with SARS.

By March of 2003, SARS was considered "a global threat," according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In early April, the Chinese people began seeing "nearly one thousand new cases per week until mid-May, while frantic steps were taken to inhibit its spread," wrote Subhuti Dharmananda, director of the Institute for Traditional Medicine in Portland, Oregon. Infected people were quarantinedIsolated in order to prevent the spread of disease., large public gatherings were canceled, and attempts were made to treat the disease with anti-viral drugs.

Herbal Remedies Sought

Many Chinese turned to traditional herbs in an effort to protect themselves from the virus. Herbalists prepared preventive mixtures of herbal roots, leaves, and flowers; those who feared catching SARS scrambled to buy these mixtures. The ingredients in the herbal preparations included wild barley, isatis root, chrysanthemum, dried honeysuckle, lonicera flower, astragalus, forsythia, coix, white fungus, andrographis, and dryopteris. Because there was no known cure for SARS, even the medical community sought help from herbalists. Herbal formulas were reportedly taken—with much success—by the staff members working with SARS patients at the University of Hong Kong School of Chinese Medicine.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that more than 8,000 people were sickened by SARS between November of 2002 and July of 2003. Nearly 10 percent, or 774 people, died from it. Only eight people in the United States caught SARS during this time, and all of them recovered. Dharmananda views the entire SARS scare as a valuable learning experience. It gave the rest of the world the opportunity to "understand how Chinese herbs are utilized in their native land to prevent and treat infectious diseases."

Common Ailments

Despite the lack of conclusive evidence of their effectiveness, herbal drugs are widely believed to be useful in treating a variety of conditions. People take herbal drugs to treat common ailments, including colds and flu, muscular aches and pains, acne, indigestion, constipation, coughs, menstrual cramps, dandruff, diarrhea, fatigue, hair loss, headaches, heartburn, gas, insect bites, lice, motion sickness, nausea, insomnia (a sleeping disorder), dizziness, and warts.

People also take herbal drugs for more serious conditions such as depression; arthritis; asthma (AZ-muh), a breathing disorder; high blood pressure; various cancers; diabetesA serious disorder that causes problems with the normal breakdown of sugars in the body.; epilepsyA disorder involving the misfiring of electrical impulses in the brain, sometimes resulting in seizures and loss of consciousness.; sexually transmitted diseases; obesity; and ulcers.