Herbal therapy in respiratory disease.

This ninth article in the series looks at the management of respiratory conditions, a traditional indication for herbs. Many symptomatic managements remain part of our treatment today, sometimes with remarkably little evidence of effect. The explosion in incidence of asthma has, as in any chronic condition, provided a new area where alternative treatment is increasingly considered by patients. Treatments have been even less well researched than in other areas of herbal medicine, and the potential for abuse and toxicity remains a concern.