Herbs vs. Drugs: What to Choose?

Currently, health and its preservation are some of the most pressing problems of mankind. When we get sick, then we are faced with a choice: “How can we be treated?” Many immediately go to the pharmacy for medicines, others use herbal decoctions, knowing their medicinal properties. Medicines work quickly and effectively, but people give little thought to what harm they can cause to the body. Some are treated with natural remedies, and they are just as helpful in treatment. Recently, people overestimate drugs since most of them have side effects, are poorly tolerated by some patients, cause various reactions and drug diseases. But the effectiveness of natural remedies for certain diseases revived interest among the population.

Features of drugs

Millions of people around the world cannot imagine their life without drugs. Ibuprofen relieves headaches, paracetamol reduces high temperature, and the infection is treated with antibiotics. It would seem that any health problem can be solved by taking a pill. But today, more and more often we hear the opinion that drugs do more harm than good. By temporarily eliminating the symptoms, they do not affect the disease and at the same time cause many side effects.

Medicines can cause drug dependence, allergic reactions, impaired immunity, side effects.

Depending on the dose, the same medicine can show remarkable healing properties and, conversely, cause harm to the body. Therefore, you need to be very careful about the instructions of doctors and in no case should you take the medicine in a higher dose and more often than prescribed by the doctor. Even such harmless medicines as vitamin preparations in case of an overdose can cause a number of serious disorders in the body. So, the abuse of vitamin D preparations can lead to impaired renal function; long-term use of large doses of vitamin C preparations contributes to the formation of blood clots, a systematic overdose of vitamin A can lead to hair loss, peeling of the skin. The uncontrolled and often unnecessary use of antibiotics leads to the development of allergic diseases and anaphylactic shock, a life-threatening reaction. Long-term use of some pain relievers and antipyretics without sufficient reason can lead to a violation of the blood composition and cause damage to the mucous membrane of the alimentary canal.

Indeed, natural medicines can replace synthetic medicines and successfully treat some diseases in some cases. However, serious acute illness (e.g. cancer, hormonal disorder, or infection) can ONLY be cured with synthetic drugs purchased from a reliable pharmaceutical company like Trusted Tablets website. Herbs will not help in this case. You can order the following groups of synthetic drugs online:

• Analgesics. Pain medications. Many of them have anti-inflammatory properties and lower fever;
• Antacids. Drugs that neutralize the acidity of gastric juice (reduce heartburn and similar conditions);
• Antibiotics. Substances (often obtained from microorganisms such as fungi or bacteria) that inhibit the development or kill bacteria in the body. Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses;
• Antihypertensive drugs. Blood pressure-lowering drugs;
• Antihistamines. They prevent allergic reactions that occur when a substance called histamine is released in the body;
• Antidepressants. Depression drugs;
• Anticoagulants. Drugs that prevent and/or dissolve blood clots (blood clots);
• Antipyretics. Drugs that lower the temperature;
• Beta-blockers. They are used in the treatment of exertional angina, as well as to reduce the heartbeat;
• Bronchodilators. Drugs that expand the lumen of the bronchi, narrowed as a result of muscle spasm Hepatoprotectors. (Drugs that cleanse and protect the liver from the negative effects of toxins, toxins, heavy metals and other harmful substances);
• Hypoglycemic drugs. Medicines that lower blood glucose levels. Used to treat diabetes;
• Hormones. Chemicals produced by the endocrine glands;
• Immunosuppressants. Drugs that prevent or weaken the body’s normal response to disease or foreign tissue;
• Skin ointments. For the treatment and/or prevention of skin diseases, there are a large number of creams, ointments, lotions;
• Corticosteroids. They are used in the treatment of certain types of cancer, as well as to compensate for the deficiency of the body’s own hormones;
• Diuretic drugs. They promote the formation of urine in the kidneys and remove it from the body and thereby free the body from excess fluid;
• Preparations for the treatment of colds. Although there are no remedies that can cure a cold, the patient’s condition can be alleviated by taking aspirin or paracetamol in combination with plenty of drinking;
• Antiviral agents. Preparations for fighting viral infections;
• Anti-inflammatory drugs. There are three main groups of drugs used as anti-inflammatory drugs: analgesics, corticosteroids, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• Antifungal agents. Means for the treatment of fungal diseases;
• Antiemetics. Drugs that suppress nausea and vomiting. Most of them also reduce dizziness;
• Anticonvulsants. Drugs used to prevent and treat epileptic seizures;
• Laxatives. Drugs that strengthen and facilitate bowel contractions;
• Sleeping pills. There are two main groups of sleeping pills: sedatives and barbiturates;
• Vasoconstrictor drugs. They reduce the production of mucus and thus relieve the runny nose and nasal congestion associated with common colds and allergies;
• Antispasmodics. Drugs that reduce bowel spasms and relieve pain;
• Cough suppressants. Drugs that reduce the cough that usually occurs with colds;
• Remedies for diarrhea. Used to treat diarrhea;
• Calming agents. They reduce feelings of anxiety, induce muscle relaxation. They can be used as sleeping pills;
• Cytotoxic drugs. Agents that damage or destroy proliferating cells. They are used to treat cancer, as well as immunosuppressants.

Features of medicinal herbs

There are many easy-to-grow medicinal remedies on our planet. They are found in mountains, forests, steppes, deserts, and swamps. Due to their wide distribution, availability and valuable properties, plants have been used since ancient times. Three thousand years ago, many of them were known in China and Egypt. The experience of using them has been accumulating for centuries and has led to the creation of traditional medicine. Knowledge about the properties of medicinal plants and their use was kept in the people’s memory, forgotten, restored, replenished with new information and passed on from generation to generation. Modern science studies and verifies the centuries-old experience of traditional medicine, replenishing the arsenal of remedies. The method of treating various human diseases based on the use of medicinal plants and complex preparations from them is called herbal medicine.

The problem of environmental protection is one of the most acute problems of the XXI century, and it also concerns medicinal plants. In the USA, 40 tons of medicinal raw materials from about 200 plant species are annually harvested for the pharmaceutical industry. But natural resources are not endless. Irrational, unsystematic procurement of medicinal plants has led to a decrease in their reserves, and sometimes to the complete destruction of certain species in a particular area, especially near cities and large settlements. In this regard, every year, the protection of especially valuable medicinal plants is becoming more and more important.

Medicinal plants are raw materials for obtaining products used in folk, medical or veterinary practice for medicinal or prophylactic purposes.

In the USA, there are large research institutes of medicinal plants, in which a wide range of studies are carried out on plants with medicinal properties or containing aromatic substances of interest for medicine. A large number of herbal medicines are currently used in scientific medicine. Many of them are extremely valuable therapeutic agents, without which it is impossible to treat a number of diseases.

Despite more advances in the study of medicinal plants, all the possibilities associated with the medicinal use of plants have not yet been exhausted. The use of the data of traditional medicine, a deep scientific analysis of the ideas established among the people about the healing properties of many plants will help to further enrich the arsenal of medicinal products and put them in the service of protecting public health.

Medicinal plants can be divided into the following types:

• toning;
• soothing;
• sugar-lowering;
• hypotensive;
• spasmodic;
• expectorants;
• binders;
• antimicrobial;
• aromatic;
• choleretic;
• hemostatic;
• anti-inflammatory;
• boost immunity;
• hepatoprotective.

Doctor’s opinion

We asked a Family Medicine Center’s physician, Alicia Blackstock, what she thinks about treatment with medicinal herbs:

– How do you feel about the treatment of diseases with medicinal herbs?

– Positively. I prescribe herbal treatment at the onset of the disease and in remission. For example, tea for kidneys, cough suppressants.

-What do you think is the more effective: herbs or drugs?

– Medicinal plants have fewer side effects than drugs, they are milder and do not violate the immune system, but the treatment lasts longer – from a month to six months. Treatment times with drugs are shorter, but most of them have many side effects. If you have a chronic disease without exacerbation, then, of course, herbs are better. They act more slowly but do not harm the body. If you have a serious acute illness, then herbs will not help, you will have to take pills. The thing is that herbs begin to help only when you use them regularly for a long time. Of course, it is better for pregnant and young children to use herbs.

Conclusion

Despite the rapid development of the pharmaceutical industry, scientists have not yet managed to create a single drug without side effects. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the treatment of diseases with herbs since it is safer for human health than taking medications.

Having studied the scientific literature on medicinal plants and synthetic drugs, we found that medicinal herbs are a safer and no less effective method of treatment than synthetic drugs.

After doing research, we realized that medicinal herbs do not have the same side effects as pills. However, they have a weaker effect on the body, therefore, treatment with plants is always long-term and they help with the disease without exacerbation. And if the disease is serious, then you have to take synthetic drugs.

Thus, if you know about the use of medicinal plants, you can cure many diseases. But you also need to remember the basic rule – do not harm your body! Always consult a doctor before using any herbs or drugs!