Echinacea is a medicinal plant. It has a pronounced immunostimulating action. Echinacea has found wide application in both official and traditional medicine. The most famous dosage form is tincture or solutions, which are used both for the treatment and prevention of various diseases.
How does the remedy on the body?
Taking the drug will help in the development of interferon, thereby increasing the body's resistance to bacteria, infections, viruses. The use of echinacea tincture will help the patient to cope with such diseases faster, stop the inflammatory process, accelerate the regeneration of damaged tissues.
Herbs are composed of substances that have a destructive effect on viruses, help stimulate the work of macrophages, granulocytes, and immediately direct them to the foci of pathological processes.
Also in the composition there are cytokines that affect those cells that are responsible for nonspecific immunity. And inulin and betaine accelerate metabolic processes.
External use stimulates the regeneration of the skin, accelerates the healing of wounds and eczema. Antioxidant action helps to increase the elasticity of the vascular walls, prevents the formation of cholesterol plaques. Echinacea removes toxins from the body, cleanses the lymphatic system, improves blood clotting.
Also, the intake of tincture will help to normalize blood pressure, relieve nervous tension, struggling with drowsiness.
In cosmetology, the tool is used to cleanse the skin, fight acne, peeling.
Characteristics, composition and brief description
Medicinal basis - the leaves, roots and inflorescences of the plant. Echinacea contains biologically active components that have a complex effect on the body:
polysaccharides, enzymes, essential oil;- acids: linoleic, coffee;
- organic compounds;
- glycosides, phytosterols, resins;
- tannins and mucous substances;
- vitamins of group A, C, E;
- various trace elements: magnesium, selenium, potassium, manganese, calcium;
- inulin, betaine, fatty oils in the root of plants.
polysaccharides, enzymes, essential oil;Pharmacy tincture (per 100 ml of product) contains:
- 20 g of echinacea;
- ethyl alcohol 60%.
The color of the tincture may be clear, greenish or dark amber, the aroma is spicy. During storage, the liquid may cloud and precipitate.
Indications for use
Most often, the tincture is prescribed as a prophylactic and tonic. Its reception is recommended in the following cases:
- viral diseases;
- with bronchitis, pharyngitis;
- with inflammatory lesions of the mucous membrane;
- in the presence of trophic ulcers, boils, infected wounds;
- for burns, eczema, insect bites;
- with cold, ARVI, flu;
- in renal pathology, including in chronic form;
- if the body is weakened after taking antibiotics, serious therapy;
- with low blood pressure, dizziness with hypotension;
- with ulcers and gastritis.
The tool is prescribed in the season of colds, which will strengthen the immune system, prevent infection.
Contraindications and side effects
If you follow the dosage recommended by the manufacturer, this tool is safe. But if you take it for more than 4 weeks, there is an accumulation of active substances in the body, which can cause symptoms of intoxication. Such signs as are noted:
- headache;
- nausea;
- weakness;
- pressure increase;
- trouble sleeping
Also, before applying it is recommended to ensure that there is no allergy to echinacea. If you have sore throat, small pimples on the skin, you should stop taking the tincture, drink antihistamine medicine.
It is worth remembering about contraindications, which include:
- childbearing and lactation;
- children age - up to 12 years old can not be given Echinacea tincture;
- HIV, AIDS, autoimmune pathologies;
- any form of tuberculosis;
- oncology;
- diabetes;
- individual intolerance to the components.
When using a medicinal product, it is necessary to refuse from work for a time, which requires a quick reaction, as well as driving a vehicle.
Interaction with other drugs
It is very important to combine the tincture of echinacea with other drugs. For example, when used together with immunostimulatory drugs, disorders of the immune system may occur, and your well-being will worsen.
But the simultaneous use of echinacea and antiviral agents leads to increased pharmacological properties of the drug.
The use of alcohol solution of echinacea together with drugs containing cephalosporin derivatives, causes increased heart rate, profuse sweating, redness of the skin, nausea.
It is forbidden to use the tool in the treatment of immunosuppressive drugs.
How to take echinacea alcohol infusion
According to the instructions, in the treatment of adults, the dosage regimen depends on the disease:
- in the treatment of respiratory infections - 20 drops three times a day;
- for the prevention of seasonal epidemics - a similar scheme, that is, a maximum of 60 drops per day;
- for acute infections in the first three days, you need to take 40 drops three times a day, then 10 drops every hour;
- for diseases of the digestive system or urination - first take 40 drops, after 2-3 hours - another 20, after the second day take 20 drops of tincture half an hour before meals three times a day.
If you have intolerance tincture, it can be replaced by:
- Immunal;
- Echinacin;
- Solgar.
Small children do not prescribe such a solution, but tablets that contain Echinacea, for example, Estiphan or Dr. Theiss, can become safe analogues.
But children over 12 years old can be given 5-10 drops once a day, not forgetting to dilute with water at a ratio of 1: 2. The duration of the course of therapy can only be determined by the doctor - it all depends on the course of the disease, the characteristics of the organism.
As a preventive measure, take the drug 10-12 days, in therapeutic - 14-20. Reception over 8 weeks causes the development of complications.
Echinacea tincture can also be used externally. To do this, add 30 drops of the drug in 100 ml of saline and use the tool for compresses, lotions. Moisten gauze in solution, put on a sore spot, cover with a bag and fix. Change bandage twice a day.
For laryngitis, pharyngitis, sore throat, dissolve 2 teaspoons of tincture in 200 ml of warm water, use 3 times a day to rinse your sore throat.
Is it possible to prepare Echinacea tincture at home?
Do you plan to make a solution with your own hands? In this case, you need either fresh or dried grass. You can use the finished pharmacy raw materials.
Stocking
You will need two-year copies. Buds need to be cut to their disclosure - in July or August, because the leaves accumulate all the useful properties closer to the fall. Spread out the grass in a dry, but protected from the sunlight place. Normal ventilation is required in the room, since otherwise the mold may appear and all the workpieces will disappear. Rhizomes are harvested after the aerial part of the plant has died. Raw materials need to carefully sort, cut.
Using a dryer or oven for preparation, remember that the temperature should be around +50 degrees. When the raw material dries out a little, it needs to be shifted into a glass jar, closed with an airtight lid. Shelf life:
- half a year for grass;
- three years - for the roots.
Recipes
To prepare the tincture, you will need:
- 25 g dried grass;
- 500 ml of alcohol (you can take vodka).
Fill Echinacea with liquid and place the container for 20 days in a dark place.
Every day you need to shake the container.
Filter the composition, take 25 drops three times a day before eating for 10 days. This will strengthen the immune system.
There is another cooking option.
The recipe is as follows:
- 100 g of roots;
- 0.5 liters of alcohol.
Put all the ingredients in a container, put the jar in a cupboard or a dark room, periodically shake the mixture. After 2 weeks, strain the solution, wring out the raw material. Drink 15-20 drops 30 minutes before meals 3 times a day.
The highest quality and powerful tool with anti-inflammatory effect, is obtained by using all parts of echinacea: buds, roots, leaves. To prepare the tincture, you need to take finely chopped raw materials and pour alcohol, a ratio of 1: 4.
For a month, put in a cool place protected from the sun. After filtration, pour into a dark glass bottle. Drink courses to improve the body's immune defenses during the cold season.
Cooked tincture during its storage in the refrigerator will retain its medicinal properties for two years. But in the treatment of children it is recommended to use cooked broth on water, and not on alcohol. With the right dosage, Echinacea is beneficial: it supports a weakened body, accelerates recovery from illness.
Reviews
Olga, 34 years old
Regularly accept the tincture, especially in the autumn. And all because it helps me not to get sick, because it strengthens the immune system. Her personal therapist advised me, so now I save a lot on medication.
Andrey, 26 years old
This remedy didn’t work for me: after a few hours, my head started to feel dizzy, I felt pretty bad. Therefore, I take other drugs that increase immunity, but only after consulting a doctor.
Irina, 30 years old
Inadvertently poured a glass of hot tea onto my hand, as a result I received a burn. Advised to additionally make compresses with echinacea tincture. It helped, though it was not very convenient to use it, and the smell of the product was unpleasant, but the burns were pretty fast.
