USE OF GIANT HYSSOP (LOPHANTHUS ANISATUS BENH.) IN THE COMBINATION THERAPY OF CHRONIC LUNG DISEASES

Introduction. There is a rise in the incidence of chronic nonspecific lung diseases (CNSLD). Most patients are men aged 40-60 years. Along with traditional therapy, aerophytotherapy is also indicated if an exacerbation is absent. Giant hyssop (Lophanthus anisatus Benh.) has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulating activities, which makes it an effective agent in the treatment of respiratory diseases. Objective: to investigate the effect of inhalation of a giant hyssop herb decoction on the indicators of external respiratory function in patients with CNSLD. Subjects and methods. The investigation enrolled 54 male patients aged 45-55 years with an exacerbation of CNSLD. Conventional combination therapy for study group patients additionally included inhalation of a giant hyssop herb decoction prepared in the ratio 1:10 according to the procedure described in the Pharmacopoeia. A control group consisted of CNSLD patients treated only with conventional treatments. The effect of inhalation was evaluated comparing the pneumotachograms of patients in the study and control groups. Results. Giant hyssop herb inhalations were accompanied by a significant rise in forced vital capacity by 31%, in expiratory flow rate by more than 80%, and in vital capacity by almost 30%; the patency of large, medium, and small bronchi doubled. The study group showed a significant decrease in the total number of white blood cells and erythrocyte sedimentation rate by more than 20 and 30%, respectively, and an increase in the blood levels of immunoglobulins of all classes. Conclusion. Incorporation of inhalations of a giant hyssop herb decoction into the combination therapy of CNSLD makes it possible to accelerate recovery and to reduce treatment by almost 2 times. The effect is due to the fact that giant hyssop has local anti-inflammatory, bronchodilator, and immunostimulating activities.