The high prevalence of respiratory diseases, in particular acute viral rhinosinusitis (AVRS), the frequency of antibacterial therapy prescription for its treatment and the associated global issue of antibiotic resistance necessitate the search for new treatment approaches for this condition. The implementation of therapeutic strategies based on herbal medicinal products, comprehensive action of which is aimed both at inflammatory mechanisms and at symptom control, is one of the promising areas in treatment of AVRS. The multicomponent nature of standardized plant extracts provides synergistic therapeutic effects that act simultaneously on multiple pathophysiological mechanisms.
OBJECTIVE
To systematize and analyze current evidence on the potential and role of phytotherapy in the treatment of AVRS from the perspective of evidence-based medicine.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Materials from publications in the MedLine, Embase, and PubMed databases were used in the review. Selection of sources was carried out using the following keywords: acute viral rhinosinusitis, treatment, phytotherapy, herbal medicinal product.
RESULTS
Systematic reviews show that herbal remedies have combined mucolytic, secretolytic, antiviral, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory actions, contributing to the reduction of rhinosinusitis symptoms with high tolerance. Among all herbal medicinal products, the most convincing evidence base for the treatment of AVRS has been obtained for the BNO 1016 plant extract, known as Sinupret extract. The evidential basis contains numerous data demonstrating significant clinical benefits of treatment regimens for AVRS that include Sinupret extract.
CONCLUSION
Accumulated clinical evidence confirms the therapeutic potential of standardized herbal medicines in AVRS, positioning phytotherapy as a real alternative to conventional symptomatic treatment methods. It has been shown that therapeutic outcomes comparable to or superior to traditional treatment approaches can be achieved in application of herbal medicines while maintaining favorable safety profiles.
